the 75th Hunger games: Remix
by Les Procrastinators
Summary: Katniss and Peeta were never reaped in the 74th Hunger Games and now that the quarter quell is here a a new, different twist is all the rage in the Capitol.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey this is my first story so... if it would be at all possible please avoid flames! and keep reading for as long as you possibly can as I can guarantee my writing will improve... hopefully! Please enjoy!**

On their very tiny couch, in their very small home, on the very edge of the seam, primrose everdeen tensely sat between her mother and sister. They awaited the capitol announcement that all of Panam had been ordered to watch.

"what do you think it is going to be about?" asked primrose

"I'm not too sure prim" replied her sister, katniss "I can't remember ever hearing an announcement at this time of year"

"oh"

"its most likely the announcement of the quarter quells twist" said the mother as she began to braid prims golden blond hair.

After thinking on her mothers words she began to vaguely remember her 5th grade teacher saying something along the lines of;

"to commemorate the end of the dark days the capitol decided to host a special hunger games every 25 years called a quarter quell."

Apparently in these quarter quells the game makers would change up the rules of the game to make things more "exiting"for the capitol.

It sounded to prim like it was meant to screw over the districts.

But then again the best kind of excitement in the capitol usually meant excitement of a terrible type in the districts.

All prim had to do was think of the hunger games to confirm this thought. Every year the capitol basically kidnapped 2 teens from each district and forced them to fight to the death until only one person was left. All for the capitals entertainment. Most of these games, the past 53 to be precise had been executed (see what I did there ;) under the leadership of president snow.

Just then, the normally black t.v blared to life as none other than president snow himself appeared on screen.

"good evening capitolites as well as all those in the districts" snow boomed.

His greeting was met with a roaring applause from the invisible audience before him.

"tonight we come together to reflect on the uprising as well as the hurt, pain, and death it brought. We also gather to celebrate its end, and the beginning of something far better. The Hunger games." he paused as another round of cheers, this time louder than the first prevented him from continuing.

"and so as decreed by the capitol when the games first began" the president continued dramatically " in reminder of the young innocent lives taken by the rebels in their attempt to over take the capitol who loved them fed them and cared for them, the tributes in the 75th annual Hunger games and 3rd Quarter quell will be between the ages of seven and thirteen. Thank you for your time, and good night to all."

As the screen went black, prim peered up to find two sets of very worried eyes looking back towards her. She shrugged and sighed with what she hoped didn't sound like a nervous laugh.

"if only I could have been born two weeks earlier"

"You could have little duck! if you hadn't stayed in 3 weeks longer than you were supposed to!" replied Katniss with a genuine smile.

"Hey! How was I supposed to know that being on time would get me out of a reaping!"

This got all the ladies on the very tiny couch in the very small house on the very edge of the seam laughing. So what if prim had her Name in the reaping bowl this year. Just as many names as ever would be in the reaping bowl

There was absolutely no possible way prim's name was going to be chosen.

**Ok so this was really really bad but I swear it gets better... in like two chapters so bear with me. If you want you can even skip the next two chapters. all that really happens is Katniss breaks her leg so prim has to lear how to hunt and you figure out that Rory and Prim really do not like each other. **

**ps...I'm writing this after I've made the next few chapters (so I know it does improve)...because apparently I can do that. I know totally cool right?! fan fiction is fan-tastic! (see what I did there ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

The next night prim anxiously waited for her sister to return from the forest. She had been gone since five that morning and it was already getting dark.

Katniss hadn't come home by the time prim left for school, but that happened to often for the thirteen year old year old to worry. the older sister usually left the house at the crack of dawn to get in a couple hours of hunting. What had worried prim however, was when Katniss hadn't showed up at their after school meeting spot. Even after 4:00 the older sister hadn't appeared.

"where were you!?" prim practiced in her head as she angrily stormed down the street. She was definitely to give that katniss a stern talking to the moment she arrived at home.

But to prims surprise her sisters familiar dark hair, grey eyes, and olive skin did not greet her as she stepped through the door. Instead it was her mom that rushed up.

"where have you been!?" she asked "and where on earth is your sister!"

"I was waiting for her" Prim replied, annoyance in her voice. She had just waited an hour for Katniss to not show up and now her mom was getting mad at her? "but she didn't show up so I came home!"

"Did you see her at all today?"

She had to think about it. Had she seen Katniss at their joint PE class? No. At lunch? Nope. Had prim even seen her in the hallway that day? Not even a glimpse! she hadn't seen her sister since since she left for hunting early that morning! "no. Not at all." prim muttered

Panic immediately became imminent on her mothers face

"But I'm sure Katniss will be home soon. She probably just has a detention or something" quickly added. Too bad she was lying, Katniss had never received a detention in her life.

Not even the slightest trace of alarm left her mothers face, of course she knew that wasn't what had happened. so prim rushed off to make the most calming drink she could manage with the few brewing leaves and they had.

Peppermint tea.

Just where was Katniss?

* * *

"ow, ow, ow" Groaned Katniss as she attempted to stand on her almost surely broken leg. The moment she put even the slightest amount of pressure on her leg it buckled under her. This was going to take a while.

Looking up at sun she realized it was almost nine o'clock in the morning. school had already started!

"damn it!" Katniss screamed to no one in particular. she knew it was a bad idea to come out into the forest just to gather tea leaves. she, obviously hadn't woken up gale early just to go gathering. The work in the mines was so taxing, her hunting partner could use all the rest he could get. Unfortunately Katniss had come to regretted this decision once she had taken the 20 foot drop of the edge of a cliff. All in an attempt to collect those stupid peppermint leaves that prim liked so much.

the sixteen year old lifted her pant leg to examine the spot of pain and immediately wished she hadn't. It was purple, going greener by the second and a chunk of leg was pointed in the complete opposite direction it was supposed to. She nearly puked as she pulled down her pant leg so fast it hit the misaligned leg bit, sending excruciating pain throughout her body. She had experienced broken bones before but none this painful.

for the first time in her life, Katniss Everdeen was helpless, and it was her own fault.

She would just have to wait

And wait

And wait

And wait

The sun was long past setting before Katniss decided she could no longer bear the cold. looking around for things to keep warm which wouldn't involve standing up, or moving at all for that matter she discovered and abundance of twigs, leaves and mud. Great.

Katniss decided to make a fire. Gale had taught her how last autumn, instead of attending the victory 'celebration' for the latest hunger games winner, Clove.

After about an hour and a half of lots of leg blood, sweat but absolutely no tears Katniss managed to get a decent fire fire going. Burying her self in leaves she settled in for what was sure to be a long, painful, boring night. If she was lucky gale might find her on Sunday morning, two whole days from now. If not, well Katniss didn't really want to think about that.

* * *

It was about ten o'clock at night before Primrose Everdeen and her mother decided it was time to take the matters into their own hands.

They rushed over to the hawthorn's house, home to Katniss's hunting partner, Gale, as quickly as possible and after five minutes of constant knocking, banging and basically waking up the entire block a sleepy gale decided to open the door with a loud yawn.

"What!" He commanded in a grumpy manor. "what is so important that you had to wake up the entire neighborhood.?" he winked at prim sleepily and grinned .

"Its Katniss" prim replied without returning the smile. "she went hunting this morning and we haven't seen her since."

Gales grin almost immediately melted off his face. He ran, inside grabbed a lantern and lit it before rushing out the door.

"young man where do you think your going!?" questioned ms. Everdeen sternly "It is pitch black out there and you are in nothing but boxer shorts."

"finding Katniss!" he shouted over his shoulder, as if he often ran around the forest in nearly naked.

"not dressed like that your not, and most definitely not without my help, my daughter might be seriously injured and I am not sure I quite I trust your medical care after that ankle incident." a few years back gale had tried to splinter a sprained ankle Katniss had gotten and only succeeded in fracturing it.

Sighing gale put down his lantern and sprinted back into his house while ms. Everdeen turned to prim.

"now dear" she began only to be cut off by her daughter

"don't even think about it. If Katniss hasn't managed to make it back home by know what ever happened to her must be pretty bad. Which means you'll need my help." Announced Prim. She had been rehearsing that line the entire trip to gales.

The mother considered this, for a while before finally agreeing.

"fine just make sure you don't injure yourself too. I already have one potential patient"

Prim enthusiastically nodded and the two turned back to the doorway to find gale, this time fully dressed and carrying 2 more lanterns, waiting.

"So are we going or what" he said handing the two ladies lanterns before picking up his own and dashing as fast as humanly possible in the direction of the forest. The eighteen year old only even remotely slowed down when he reached the edge of the district boundary.

Turning to prim he asked "any clue what what you were running low on in the house?"

"You mean other than everything?" prim responded "we were really low on berries and game and tea leaves..."

At the mention of tea leaves gales eyes widened and he began to sprint again.

"what!" prim shouted from behind him.

"there's a little herb and tea leaf patch about mile from here and at the edge there's a good 20 foot drop off." gale shouted back without slowing down. Ms. Everdeen and her daughter chased after him desperately trying to keep up with the speedy eighteen year old. Their success was limited. At least, until they heard gales voice.

"Catnip are you there!"

His question was answered with a groggy pain filled reply

"Gale? Is that you!? Ya! its me Katniss!"

"hold on tight I'm coming to get you!"

"I don'exactly have much of a choice now do I!"

Hearing this prim put on a burst of speed as she raced to find the voices. But even at her top pace prim only reached gale as he reached at the top of a steep path, Katniss in his arms.

"Ow ow OW!" whispered Katniss, in a not very quiet voice. "can we take a break?"

"I was about to suggest the same thing" replied gale. "looks like you have a doctors appointment"

Looking up Katniss spotted prim

"Prim! what are you doing here! Its not safe!" Then turning on her mother she continued with undeniable coldness "how could you let her come!?"

"I wouldn't take no for an answer!" prim defended. she hated it when Katniss was mean to mom.

Gale set his partner down on the ground who winced as her mother went into what Prim called "doctor mode" and began to gingerly examined the leg.

"definitely a break. prim get me a snow pack, use the herbs from over there" she said pointing to the tree line. "NOT THE CLIFF. And be careful!" prim nodded and dashed off to prepare the pack.

Turning back to her daughter and Gale, ms. Everdeen said "Katniss sweetie, I need to realign the bone. This is going to hurt. Alot. Gale I need you to hold Katniss down."

Nodding gale clamped his hands down on Katniss's shoulders as her mom gently took hold of the broken leg.

"ready, 3, 2, 1"

Apparently, gales grip hadn't been strong enough because Katniss managed to break free and punch him square in the jaw with her flinch.

"catnip really?" gale said gripping his jaw as prim walked back holding a fully assembled snow pack.

" sorry but I'm gonna need your shirt gale" she said holding up the pack. Sighing gale took of his shirt mumbling something about being forced to get dressed just to have to take it off and using the shirt prim fastened the snow over the worst of the injury.

Katniss sighed with relief before finally saying

"lets go home. I really need to pee."

* * *

**Ok so looking back on this I'm realizing how rushed it is... sorry! in later chapters it slows down...I think. Please keep reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

Ms. Everdeen ordered katniss to 2 weeks of bed rest and 6 months of absolutely no physical exertion on her leg. Which meant no hunting. FOR 6 WHOLE MONTHS. The Everdeen family was definitely going to die.

At least until prim decided they wouldn't. Early Sunday morning she secretly made her way to the justice building pulling the red tesserae wagon katniss had always forbid her to use.

"Its not worth putting your name in more times" katniss had said. Now it was. There was no way in hell prim would let her family die just to have a chance at saving her own skin.

Once she arrived at the peace keepers building, Prim stood on tip toe and peered over the incredibly tall counter where the secretary sat at.

"hi!" she said with a smile. The secretary looked down at her with disdain.

"hello, how are you?" repeated prim.

"can I help you with anything?" drowned the secretary

"I'd like to sign up for tesserae"

the lady chuckled "taking advantage of the age drop, huh? How old are you? 10?"

"13" prim muttered indigently "i'm 13"

"Oh. Sorry." the secretary said as her eyebrows shot into her receding hair line. Dang these kids were getting smaller and smaller.

"how many would you like sign up for"

"3 please" replied prim. This meant her name would be in the reaping bowl 5 times this year. Once from last year, once from this year, and 3 times for her family.

As the woman lead her towards the supply room to collect her grain and oil prim began to wonder. What would she do? What would happen if her name was pulled out of that jar on reaping day. Her name WAS going to be there more times than nearly every other girl. Would she survive if she was chosen? Prim didn't think so. But maybe the next part of operation "injured kat" would help with that.

that afternoon as prim pulled her little wagon away from the justice building (this time full of oil and grain) she made a b-line for the hawthorns house. Since Katniss couldn't go hunting Prim was going to have to learn how if she wanted to keep her family alive. So what if it was dangerous, gross, and icky. So what if she couldn't shoot an arrow to shoot her life. So what if... never mind. Primrose knew she had to do this. no matter what.

she knocked on the door and this time it was gales younger brother, Rory who answered.

"you woke me up last night." Rory said. He was the same age as prim But that was about all they had in common. She had Blond hair, blue eyes, and pale skin while he had that typical seam look. Dark hair, Grey eyes and olive skin. But looks weren't all they didn't have in common. they were absolute opposites of each other and they two hated each other about as much as Ice hates fire. ant that's alot of hate.

"sorry, you should have told me last night, I definitely would have helped" prim replied sweetly "on quick blow to the head and you would have been out like a light, and I've really been practicing my left hook too! Maybe some other time. now if you don't mind I'de like to talk to your Gale"

"about what" the boy questioned glaring at the Girl in his Door way

"None of your Business"

"it is if you wanna get into my house"

"no its not" looking over Rory's shoulder prim called out for Gale

"get out of my house ugly face"

"Shut up donkey butt. It's not like I want to talk to you"

"please you should feel honored that I'm even gracing you with my presence monkey breath."

"Oh I should, should I? At least I actually passed 7th Grade spelling Farts for Brains."

"Well I don't trip over my own feet, jelly legs!"

You know I'm really considering trying out my new and improved left hook chipmunk cheeks! "

"you'd trip and punch yourself clown feet!"

"oh ya? why don't we find out!"

Just as the two lovebirds were taking there offensive stances gale came around the the street corner a dead turkey in his hand

"Hey Guys what's up" he shouted with a wave. Prim and Rory Immediately dropped their fists no matter how much they hated each other they both looked up to gale more.

"nothing much" they replied in sink, glaring at each other.

"I was just wanted to talk to you." piped up prim smiling.

"sure shoot" said gale.

"well. I was wondering If you would teach me how to hunt"

Rory laughed.

"You? in the forest? You would kill yourself in two days"

Prim nearly slugged him right then and there

"don't worry I'd make sure to take you with me. Besides unlike you i'm not going to let my older sibling baby me any more."

"Psh. more like you can't"

That boy was so infuriating! so Prim ignored him and turned to gale.

"Gale what do you say?"

"are you sure you want to? I remember last time..."

"Yes I 'm sure! Please"

"ok. in the forest next Sunday"

* * *

"And then you just tie the end of the wire into a knot and, viola." gale held up a masterfully made snare and allowed the 2 thirteen year olds he had brought with him into the forest to examine it. yes, thirteen year old's. Unfortunately for prim, the moment Gale l agreed to help her rory mad a point of shouting into the girls ear that he was coming too. There was now way that prim was going to beat him in anything.

"ok now you try" gale continued.

His protijays hungrily took the wire and began to twist and tie as fast as there untrained hands would allow them. It was almost as if the two were trying to make their snare faster than the other. They probably were. after about five minutes they both held up their snares at the exact same time yelling

"DONE!" so loudly it scared the birds within a fifty mile radius of the group out of their trees.

"looks like were not getting any hunting done today" muttered gale to himself as he picked up the finished snares. They were mediocre at best and gale could make a better one in his sleep but they were new at this so gale would let it slide.

"not bad guys" gale said " but lets move on to something more important, the actual hunting part of hunting"

"YES" shouted Rory pumping his fist "enough of this sissies work."

"Excuse me" replied prim " sissies work? What's that supposed to mean?"

"it means that what we have been doing so far was like the dish washing of hunting and look at you you're already drenched in sweat" so was he but maybe prim wouldn't notice if he played it off " you should just go home now and leave the real work to the men."

"what?" prim screeched " just because I  
Made a better snare than you doesn't mean it's sissies work"

" don't make me laugh! Yours couldn't catch a worm." Rory replied just as loudly as prim

" guys!" gale shouted in a whispered tone " first rule of hunting. Keep quite! At this rate you'll scare all the animals away until next week! Now if you can't manage to stop your bickering both your families are going to starve. I mean it. Since I started in the mines, can only hunt on Sundays and now that katniss is injured she won't be able to help us with food. Besides you sound like a married couple."

" at least we don't look like a married couple" muttered Rory so that only prim could hear. She gave him a grudging laugh. Gale and katniss definitely did look like a married couple.

The rest of the afternoon went by rather smoothly. Rory learned that he was absolutely horrible with a bow and arrow, of coarse prim already knew she was from the time her sister tried to teach her. But as it it turned out he was half decent with the pointy stick that he had carved from a dead tree branch (prim was pretty sure the capitol called it a spear) And she was not half bad with the smaller of the throwing knives that gale had brought with him.

By the time the sun was beginning to set and gale had decided it was a good time to head home the trio had caught a 3 squirrels 2 chipmunks and a wild turkey in a blueberry bush (my little sister really wanted me to put and a partridge in a pear tree but i said no). Not as good as katniss and her usual load but but that was ok with prim. She definitely preferred helping her mother with patients but this was what would keep her family alive. she would have to deal.

Of course when she got home though katniss immediately blew up into a volcanoly dangerous lecture about prims safety, how much she cared for prim, and the the fact that she was going to murder gale the moment she was better before finally calming down enough to say

" I can't believe you actually managed to do it prim! My little sister making it an entire day in the forest! Did you get anything?"

Prim held up the wild turkey she had caught in the blueberry bush with her knives and katniss smiled

"we're gonna eat well tonight"

And they did. they did for months after that too. and in those months Rory and prim became quite the tag team. They still hated each other of course but with the thought of full bellies and maybe a little bit of extra spending money if the day went well a little bit, just an ensie winsie tiny little bit of than hate was left at the edge of district twelve at the end of each school day


	4. Chapter 4

prim opened her eyes at what she decided was too early o'clock. It was so warm and cozy beside her mother. prim was not going to get up until she had to exit the door. That was what she usually did for school today was not a usual day, in fact it was least usual day of the year. Reaping day. But who cared? Not prim, all she cared about was how much she didn't want to wake up. So in an attempt to fall back asleep she rolled over. It just so happened that she rolled right off the bed.

"owww" prim moaned quietly as her body hit the cold hard floor. There was no turning back now, her throbbing knee told her that she was wide awake. Prim clumsily got up and stumbled her way into the only bathroom of the everdeen house.

Looking at herself in the mirror the thirteen year old's eyes widened, her hair was a mess! The blond locks that usually framed the girls face in a more or less straight fashion were were sticking out in an array of different directions and what hadn't been bent in an odd way had been fuzzed up into at least 3 times its normal size.

There was only one person who could have done this.

"Rory!" prim grumbled under her breath. That brat. he must have done something to her hair when she had taken a nap in the forest after school yesterday! Damn it. And to think she had almost started to trust him! That was never happening AGAIN. Ever. Prim lifted a hand to her head and began to calm her crazy hair. Or at least she tried to. Her hair was either rock hard or sticky as... As...as

Tree sap.

Immediately prim began to boil water for a bath. Maybe it was good that she had woken up so early. She would need to take at least three if she wanted to look even half decent for the reaping.

After about 2 hours and 5 baths prim deemed herself clean enough to get ready for the reaping. She put on the same plain pink dress that Katniss had worn to her second reaping. She momentarily entertained herself with the memory of katniss nearly slapping the town seamstress when was told that it was the only one left in the super super clearance bin. once Ms. Everdeen woke up she knotted prims hair into the two braids that she had worn the previous year.

After a lunch where nothing was really eaten prim, katniss and their mother headed down to the town square where the reaping's would be held. Prim hugged her mother and her sister who whispered

"Everything will be fine little duck. See you for dinner."

Before heading to the sign In station. There were so many little kids crying. What would happen if they were chosen. Would they even know they were headed To certain death? Prim wished this stupid twist had never happened, it was wierd but she wanted the old games back. They were too young! But of course it would never happen. It was all a part of the capitols sick plan to keep the districts scared and hopeless. To actually make them glad that every year the hunger games happened.

She wanted to cry but prim had to be strong for the younger kids so instead she looked around for Rory. That kid was dead meat. Lucky For him though he was already signed in and standing in the section of the square roped off for the 13 year old boys.

Prim signed in and didn't freak out nearly as much when the peace keeper pricked her finger. She went over to the 13 year old girl section, glaring at Rory the entire time, and stood beside her best friends, Polly and April.

"help me kill Rory when this is over will you?"

The girls laughed

" sure" said April " as long as you swear to ask him out after"

"eew no!" exclaimed prim " he put sap in my hair yesterday!"

" oh please" cut in Polly with a laugh " he only does that because he likes you!"

The trio would have kept arguing but they were interrupted by the district 12 escort,Effie trinket.

"Good after noon and happy hunger games" Effie piped in her irritating as ever capitol accent. The girls giggled elbowing each other. Tomorrow at school they would be speaking in nothing but capitol accents.

"isn't this exiting! The 3rd quarter quell! I can't wait to see what happens! And I'll bet you're just ecstatic that 2 of you are going to get to be apart of it."

Her comments were met with what prim figured was the least enthusiastic applause Panam had ever heard.

"well umm... Ladies first" Effie continued. She walked over the large glass bowl filled to the brim with white slips of paper. She dug her hand into it and fished around for a while before coming up with a white slip of paper.

"primrose everdeen"

The cameras zoomed in on her paling face as she gave each of her crying friends a hug and walked slowly towards the out stretched arms of her new escort. Effie gave her an awkward hug before walking over to the boys reaping bowl.

Prim locked eyes with katniss who was holding up a crying Ms everdeen. The older sister tapped under her chin and prim understood immediately. Head up, no tears.

"Rory Hawthorne" Effie trinket boomed into the microphone.

No. No. This couldn't be happening. when prim said he was going to kill Rory she didn't mean it literally!

She turned to Face Rory who was already onstage. He smirked at her as if nothing was wrong, but prim could see the nervous sheen of sweat on his forehead.

"nice hair sapling" Rory said holding out his hand

"thanks, sticky fingers" prim replied taking it

They shook hands and the hunger games officially began.

* * *

When most children have nightmares about the hunger games, they dream about being in the arena. But not prim. Her nightmares would always be about sitting in this room. Having to say goodbye to her family and friends, having to lie to them about her chances of coming home. But now that horrible dream katniss always told prim had just been a part of her imagination was real. She was in the tribute holding room. Here She would hug her family and make jokes with her friends for what would certainly be the last time.

How could this happen? There were so many other names! Her mother was going to teach her how to be a doctor! And she was finally starting to help her family with something other than goat dairy products. Prim wanted to cry, she wasn't ready to die! No. She wouldn't give the capitol that satisfaction.

She wouldn't give the capitol any satisfaction. She was going to make them regret they chose the name "primrose everdeen. She wouldn't let the capitol just kill her. No way in hell would she do that. She was going to win this!

Who was prim kidding? She had no chance of winning the hunger games.

The door creaked open and Katniss rushed in followed by prims mother

"mom!" prim cried hushing into her only parents arms. immediately the water works began, so much for no tears.

"mommy I'm scared"

"shhh, shhh, shhh, its alright sweetheart, you'll be fine" said Ms. Everdeen. But as the words escaped her lips the mother knew they were lies. Even if her daughter survived these games, the horrors prim would undoubtedly witness would prevent her from being 'fine' ever again.

"oh prim I love you" the mother continued "and once you win you'll be safe for the rest of your life."

"Mom" prim stammered "I'm not going to win. I can't"

"oh yes you can missy" Katniss exclaimed with surprising confidence. "and you will. with all the training you've gotten from gale, I wouldn't be surprised if you get in with the careers this year.

"that's right!" Ms. Everdeen said with a sad smile "and i bet you're going to be the smartest, and oldest tribute in the arena this year, not to mention your a medical wiz! I'm sure the capitol will be lining up to sponsor you!"

"you can and are going to win this prim!" katniss told her little sister. As she squeezed the thirteen year old and her mother into a crushing embrace.

"you have to."

They sat in the hug silently as minutes passed like seconds before a loud peace keeper banged on the door before bursting into the small room.

"time's up" he said and grabbed the wrists of the two oldest Everdeens pulling them out the door.

"remember your strengths sweetie!"

"mom!"

"head up! No tears!"

"katniss!"

"We love you!"

"no! Don't..."

The door slammed shut

"go"

Distraught, Prim stumbled over to the stool that had been placed in the middle of the rooms four pee colored walls and, sat down and placing her head in hands.

"I love you too" prim mumbled. As what she promised her self would be the last tear until after the games rolled down her cheek. She needed to be strong for katniss and mom.

For the third time the door opened but this time her best friends. April and Polly walked in. They both had the light brown hair and grey seam eyes which shone with tears waiting. they even shared the same pale complexion which at that particular moment was bright red from what prim could only guess was crying. If one had not known the two personally they would have guessed they were sisters or even twins perhaps, neither of which they were. However, other than their similarities in looks the two were complete opposites. The only reason they were friends was because, in kindergarten, prim pulled the two apart from a full on paint war they were waging against each other and made them apologize. The three had been joined at the hip ever since and eventually Polly and April began to form a friendship too.

"you're not going to go crying on me are you?" prim groaned with pretend weariness.

"oh no, not in the slightest" said Polly in the silly capitol accent Effie trinket had used.

"we just came to wish you bon voyage on your grande journey" continued April in the same tone.

"oh, well thank you! I'll make sure to bring back plenty of souvenirs for everybody." finished prim in what the girls had nicknamed 'capitolite'.

The three friends laughed and hugged.

"jeez I'm gonna miss you guys" prim said sadly

"don't worry we'll see you again in three weeks, four tops."

"yah, hopefully it won't be in a box though."

"Polly!"

"oops, did I say that out loud?" Polly said (she had a really bad habit of saying what was in her mind with out and restriction). she pulled away from the hug and brandished a small box for prim to see.

" Its from me, April, katniss, your mom, the Hawthorne's, , and basically every one else in the district. It was supposed to be for your birthday but given the circumstances..." she popped the lid off the tiny container.

"its gorgeous!" prim exclaimed pulling the long copper chain from its box.

"see on the end?" added April smiling as she pointed to a small charm at the center of the necklace. "its a primrose, like you. We were hoping that if you didn't already have a token, you would take this with you."

"yes!" breathed prim quietly. "its perfect, I love it!"

Prim didn't really remember many of the other goodbyes she shared with people. A couple of her other friends from school, some neighbors from seam and for some strange reason her fifth grade teacher.

"you know you and Rory would make a pretty cute couple. Especially in the eyes of the capitol" he had said.

What was that supposed to mean? She would be trying to kill Rory in less than a week. And what teacher still used the word cute? But before she could ponder on the thought for too long her hour for goodbyes was up and a rather large group of guards whisked prim away to the train station where she met up with Rory, as well as their escort Effie trinket.

"Is the precious little primrose ok? Did she cry?" Rory asked with mock sympathy

" only in your dreams. Did baby Rory cry?" replied prim in the same tone.

"you wish" though Rory's puffy eyes told prim differently.

"oh please I can still see the tears in your eyes"

"the games hasn't even started yet and your already having delusions? What? Were you stung by a tracker jacker on your way to the station?"

Their bickering continued until the two walked onto the train and it began to roll away. Pausing only to watch their district fade into the landscape.


	5. Chapter 5

Effie Trinket peered down at the two skinny tributes she would be escorting, and greeted them with a dreadfully forced smile plastered to her face. her usually pearly white teeth were marked with the bright blue lipstick she had hastily re-applied before rushing on to the train. this year she wore a beehive wig which matched her blue lips as well as bubble gum pink pencil dress. How she managed to waddle her way on to the train in her eight inch heels, Prim had no clue, but honestly she was quite impressed.

"well, welcome, welcome, welcome!" said the escort exitedly "I know what your going to say, this is amazing, you don't deserve such grandeur but I will have nothing but the best for _**my**_ tributes. it's one of the perks of coming to the games you know! because even though your here, and even though its just for a little while, you get to enjoy all of this!" (sorry I know that last little bit was copied directly from the movie but next to "that is Mahogany!" it is my favorite line)

Effie held up her hands in what she thought was a welcoming gesture, but the only gesture prim recognized was that of the psychopathic clown from the horror movie some of her better off friends had described.

the the boy and girl stared back towards her, the girl,Prim? a look of fear in her eyes and the other, Rory perhaps, a glint of sheer hatred and anger in his. neither of them had that look of awe and wonder which Effie had grown so used to seeing in the eyes of the District twelve tributes. this surprised her. and honestly it made her rather sad as well. Could in be that perhaps the districts didn't love the hunger games as much as her and the rest of the capitol? Effie herself would never want to be in their shoes. But no, it was different in the districts, they loved it, President snow had assured them they did, and he never lied. the celebrity status and the prestige the competitors received was almost worth dying for!

almost.

So in hopes of getting the two into higher spirits Effie grasped their hands in a supposedly comforting manor.

"oh so that's the plan, huh? Give us '_nothing but the best_' until your ready to watch us die?" Rory grumbled angrily as he snached his hand away. prim stomped on his foot and gave her opponent the best "SHUT UP BEFORE YOU RUIN IT FOR BOTH OF US" look she could muster. But Effie didn't notice, she was too busy being offended by the boys comment.

"manors, young man" she replied haughty "the only way your going to stay alive is if the capitol likes you, and let me tell you know nobody, and i mean NOBODY likes a rude tribute." she felt bad after saying it but he needed to know! if that boy wanted any chance of survival he was going to have to pull his act together.

"pssh,whatever" Rory shot back "who said I even want to win?" though with one murderous look from Prim he quickly amended his statement into a whole lot of "sorry's" and "I apologize, I this Is all just happening so fast and it slipped out" before excusing himself from the train car. Jeez for someone who was so gentle prim sure new how to get her way.

"sorry about my..._friend..._" prim said looking up at her escort "He left a lot behind in district twelve"

"oh, don't worry about that dear it's all water under the bridge now." Effie replied. It was most definitely NOT water under the bridge. " More importantly, how are _you_?"

"as good as I could be i suppose." whispered prim "are you really going to help us?"

"why of course darling!"

"you'll do your very best?

"as long as you let me!"

"Don't worry. I'm not going to pull a Rory" The two laughed. "Promise?"

"cross my heart and hope to fly."

"what?"

"yes. I promise" prim looked at her with doubt

"swear it." she said and held out her pinky finger to effie. who took it with a smile.

"I Effie Elizabeth Trinket, do here by solemnly pinky swear to help Primrose everdeen and... her district partner in the hunger games."

"Good. Now I know I can trust you because no one ever breaks a pinky promise"

"You can trust me no matter what!"

"do you think the capitol will like me"

"I know they will." said effie confidently "I'm simply positive they'll be lining up to sponsor you! now dinner will be in two hours. and after that were going to watch but until then I want you to relax!"

Though she didn't seem to relax all that much prim nodded and gave Effie a quick hug before sauntering over to the nearest tray of mouth watering goodies, picking up the largest roll there and plunking herself down on the cushiest looking chair in the car. as she began to nibble her way through the roll as capitol server entered the car and handed her a steaming cup of brown liquid.

"ms. trinket thought you might like this to go with your snack" he informed her.

"Thank you" prim replied grasping the warm crystal mug in her hand with care. This was by far the most expensive thing the young girl had ever touched andye the server standing before her had handled it with such ease, as if it was one of the cheap tin ones she used back home. Prim looked into the cup and wrinkled nose. what was it? it looked like a combination of mud and water. gross.

"It is hot chocolate" she server said but seeing the questioning look that remained on the girls face he continued "It tastes very good! My daughter loves the stuff. Try it!" and only because she did not want to be rude did prim pick up the mug and take a small sip. Immediately prim knew why the servers daughter loved it so much. It was like Happiness in a cup. Luxurious, chocolaty, sweet it was all the things that prim could never have.

"this if fantastic!" prim breathed before inhaling the rest of the liquid. "can I have another?"

"I think maybe you should pace yourself." chuckled " but if you still want more by dinner I'll be happy to provide, we have lots!" Lots? back home it would probably take months of saving just for that one mug. suddenly prim wasn't in much of a hot chocolate mood an more.

"no don't worry about it"

"oh ok." the man looked disappointed at prim's lack of enthusiasm towards his Idea but how could she be enthusiastic about such indulgence when her entire district was starving.

It was just sick.

* * *

Two hours later as delicious fumes danced throughout the halls of their capitol train, Prim and Rory, followed their noses towards the Dining cart. What feast could possibly await them,the two wondered. Fresh meat? creamy sauces? full bellies? their imaginations were not disappointed, Infact their they were surpassed in every way, shape and form. the room was so jam packed full of food that prim and Rory were forced to weave their way through the many platters heaped with delicious food. however it was pretty hard, considering that they were about as drunk as a thirteen year old could get on the smell of incredibly delectable foods such as these ones.

Somehow though they managed to find their seats, Prim next to Effie and Rory next to an empty chair which could only be meant for their mentor Haymitch. Immediately the thirteen year old girl sank into the depth of her plush armchair . Amazing! It was almost as if the chair had somehow managed to memorize the shape of her body.

Prim looked around at the many plates of food in front of her. puffy soft rolls, chicken (or at least she thought it was, she had never actually eaten chicken) marinated in sauces of all kinds, soups of every colour prim could think of, how was she going to eat so much food? Just then the server from earlier came out holding a steaming mug of something his bald head and bright blue eyes shining mischievously. Hot chocolate! but no she couldn't drink it, not with all the starving people back in the district. she had promised herself she wouldn't drink any more hot chocolate for them. but then again, the weren't riding on a capitol train to their deaths.

the man set the crystal mug down in front of her.

"Hot chocolate?" prim whispered looking down at the drink with such strong desire to drink it that her muscles were tensing, and the fine blond hairs on the back of her neck were standing straight up. No, no Katniss wouldn't drink it if she were here. But the drink was so creamy and chocolaty...

"you got it kiddo, and I heard that your favorite drink back home was peppermint tea so I added some peppermint to the hot chocolate." said the server with a wink.

Any of the little will power that remained In prim was Immediately broken, hey if she was going to die she might as well make the last few days memorable. She grabbed the mug and brought it to her lips.

"Thank you!" she said and taking a sip. It was at least ten times better than the first time she had tried it.

the server chuckled

"no problem kiddo, I'm glad you like It" he looked like he was about to say something more but Effie interrupted.

"That will do Rory" she chimed with disapproval. Her ultra thin eyebrown had managed to disappear into the hair line of her wig.

Rory straightened up

"Yes mam'!" he said as if the lady who could barley waddle her way into the dining cart scared him. He left the room.

"Well" Effie continued as her eye brows rose even higher into her hair "though normally it would be extremely bad manners, I don't think haymitch is going to be 'gracing' us with his presence any time soon, so , I say dig in!"

Rory and Prim Immediately took their plates and began touring the room.

"now normally in a meal civilized people would choose a soup or salad first." Effie piped up from her seat at the table. to late though because Rory had already piled his plate high with fried potatoes and meat of all different sorts. the by shrugged as if he didn't really care, and sat down before digging into his meal hands first. A look of utter disgust became eminent on the face of effie.

Prim immediately knew what she had to do, she went back to the table put down her plate, picked up her soup bowl and filled It with white creamy soup filled with strange meats she had never seen before.

"Seafood chowder", the label in front of the serving dish had said. she sat back down at the table and stomped on Rory's foot as hard as she could. He flinched so badly the table jolted up.

"WHAT?!" his annoyed expression read.

Prim motioned towards the look of utter detest on Effie's face and then picked up her utensils and made a sawing motion with the knife. Rory rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue but did as she instructed. Slowly but surely the look on effies face slowly melted away.

By the time Prim and Effie had finished their soup Rory was already on his third plate of food, and only after they had retrieved their main course did Haymitch, supported by a train attendant, make his appearance.

" Your Late Haymitch" Effie inquired " Why?"

"why do you think sweet heart?" Haymitch retorted in what would have been a sarcastic tone, had he not been so drunk that his words were slurred.

"Your drunk" Prim remarked

"why thank you for letting me know girlie"

"why are you Drunk?" Rory clarified. "how do you expect to help us if youcan't even stand up without the help of a wall"

"that's the thing boy, whether or not I help you you're going to die so thats why I have officially decided not to help, It saves everyone time and energy.

"so then why are you here" the tributes asked in sink. they were starting to dislike their mentor more by the second.

"the refreshments" Haymitch held up his glass which had been filled to the brim with what smelled suspiciously like vodka "are free, also I'm required by law to 'help' whatever poor soul manages to get reaped.

"so then, help us" said Rory standing up and walking over to haymitch's side.

"I think you'd be surprised by what we, or at least I could do."

"Shut up Rory, I can be capable when I want to." Prim said getting up and moving to haymitch' s other side

"But what we really need is some advice"

"hmmm.. .oh here's some advice" said Haymitch "don't die" he began to laugh hysterically.

Prim and Rory looked at each other and a silent plan seamed to form on their on their rather pissed off faces, the two nodded andin a rare moment of teamwork prim grabbed the mentors arm while Rory took the glass of alcohol.

"Argh!" Haymitch shouted as his arm flew out had hit Rory square in the left eye. But not before the boy managed to dumb the entire cup of liquer on Haymitch's head. Prim Immediately let go and managed to dodge the flailing arm that was trying to find her. Thank goodness Haymitch was drink because had he not been the damage done to the tributes would have been a lot worse.

"Sit down you two!" screeched Effie angrily. though just a hint of a smile played on her lips. The two obliged, Rory's eye two looked at each other and grinned for what seemed to be the first time in ages.

"So have I actually got some good tributes this year?" haymitch said whipping his hand to his vodka covered face and licking it "Stand up. Arms out, chin up. I want to get a good look at what I'm working with." he circled the two multiple times poking and prodding their newly muscular arms and legs. he nodded and sat back down. however when the two tried to return to their seats he held a hand out to stop them.

"you two aren't half bad body wise, nothing compared to the careers of course but you might have a chance If you listen and do exactly what I tell you to. Now tell me what can you do?"

"well I'm decent with a spear and I can make a few pretty good snares as well" said rory confidently.

"and I can throw knives ok" continued prim

"not to mention she's the fastest in our grade" supplied Rory. When he got a weirded out look form Prim he shrugged" what? if your gonna be my ally were gonna need all the help we can get, which means he needs to know everything.

"so you two want to be allies?" asked haymitch

"yes" said Rory

"no." said prim at the same time. but after one narrow eyed look form haymitch she sighed and said "yes"

"ok, so here's the deal you don't interfere with my drinking and I'll stay sober enough to help you. Now scram papa mentor and mama escort need to talk"

"But I havn't eaten dinner!" complained prim

"based on the looks of you I doubt you've ever eaten dinner" he was of coarse but she still didn't want to waste all the delicious food. "I don't want to see you until the replay's of the reapings start in 30 minutes."

"fine" Prim said grumpily as she and rory exited the dining car.

This was probably going to be the longest thirty minutes of her life.

* * *

Prim and Rory wandered their way through the train, looking for the entertainment car. Most people would think that getting lost on a train would be quite hard especially since this one was just a straight line of cars. But every train segment had at least ten doors to it most of which led ignoramus bed rooms, arcades, Effie and Haymitch-less entertainment rooms or showers. So far they had Run into at least ten sleeping staff, 7 showering attendants, 3 butlers on break, and had one awkward encounter with a pair of chefs making out in the supply closet.

They had done two laps around the entire train before it even occoured to them that perhaps their mentor and escort were in the sky cart which . Sure enough, as soon as they began climbing the first set of stairs they found Rory and Prim discovered Effie and Haymitch on opposite sides of the room staring up at starry night sky. Haymitch tapped his foot impatiently.

"Where are those two?" he grumbled "They were supposed to be here twenty minutes ago."

"We would have been but nobody told us where to go!" said Prim as she climbed the last stair and appeared in front of her mentor.

"Well that's a really bad excuse, where else would we be?" snorted Haymitch

"Oh I don't know, maybe one of the other fifty entertainment rooms on this train!" Retorted Rory.

"fft, well whatever" said Haymitch, realizing that he was actually the one to blame for their tardiness "thing is your here now and and we can get on with these stupid reaping. Do me a favor, Effster Turn on the Projector."

"What did you just call me?" Effie asked, sounding rather offended, but she got up any way and turned on the projector as Prim and Rory sat down in chairs. The sky lit up white and the chairs reclined until the group of four was leaning back so far that they were almost parallel to the ground.

"Good evening Panam!" The voice of Cesar Flickerman boomed as he appeared on the roof of the sky car.

"what an exciting day it has been for all of us" continued Claudius Templesmith as he walked onscreen and stood next to Cesar. The dark suit dotted with stars which he Cesar usually wore had been replaced with a lavender one that matched his newly Dyed eyes and lips. Claudius on the other hand was in a bright green suit which when he stood next to Cesar Reminded prim of a spring time which just so happened to be celebrating death.

"So Claudius what do you think of this year's tributes?" asked Cesar

"Why I think they are the most Interesting batch we have seen yet!" Replied Claudius excitedly "I mean come one when you have kids as young as this batch in the Hunger games things are bound to be exiting!"

The two bantered on for a while about how this year's game were going to be the most exiting that we would ever witness. after all it was a quarter quell it was a quarter quell. But Prim wasn't really listening she was too busy thinking about how she was going to have to kill the people she saw on the screen. she was every one of them, even Rory, was going to have to die if she was to go home. She was feeling guilter by the minute, what if the games changed her? Changed her into a blood thirsty beast like that district 6 boy from a few years back, or into a poor crazy girl like that Annie Cresta.

"Oy!" said haymitch "bringing prim back to reality "no dazing off! any of these people could kill youso you better not ignore them. See her?" He pointed to the screen where a young girl, probably aroud twelve stood on stage, she had blond hair, Green eyes, a freckle overed face and an extremely mean look to her.

"Tilly something or other? She and her partner Quicksilver, whosie-whats its, are going to be dangerous. so are districts two and four. Do you know why?"

"because they're going to be careers" answered Rory "they train at a special academy until their eighteen or in this case thirteen before volunteering. They win almost every year"

"Almost every year" piped up Effie who had been listening intently to the conversation.

"Yah but I've seen the training academy's in one and two and even at twelve or thirteen their pretty lethal, so don't go underestimating them"

District two produced two extremely dangerous looking tributes, Jeremy, a charming, well muscled boy of twelve who had Black Hair, Hazle Eyes and Pale skin, and Samantha a pretty girl with Auburn hair gold eyes and beautiful tan skin. The district four tributes however were about as far from Lethal and dangerous as one could be, Arista,age 8 broke in to tears as soon as her name came out of the reaping bowl and Danny,7 prim guessed had a tantrum so violent that the cameras were forced to cut away to the district five reapings.

"Posy" Rory muttered when the district five girls name came out of the bowl. Immediately Prim understood why, with her strawberry coloured hair, and pale skin. The girl was the spitting Image of Rory's younger sister.

To prim, the boy's reaping scene was just as bad. When his little brother Michael was reaped he volunteered. right away prim knew that if she couldn't win she would want him to.

Prim zoned out for the rest of the reapings because it was simply too depressing to listen to and befor she knew it server Rory had arrived to Guide tribute Rory and Prim back to their rooms for a restless nights sleep.

Tomorrow they would reach the capitol.

Please Don't think that if I didn't talk about your tribute in this chapter that they won't be in the story at all.

the tributes are as stands

D1:Quick silver (13), Tilly (12)

D2:Jeremy(13), Samantha (12)

D:3 Castridge (12)

D4: Arista(8) danny(7)

D5:Rosetta(7), Charlie(11)

D8: Nate(13)

D11:Lena(8), Joey (12)

d12: Prim and Rory( 13)

I might of had to change the age/gender of you tribute a little bit but otherwise they are going to be the same. :) Remember to keep Reviewing!


	6. Chapter 6

"What do you think of the capitol?"

"Are you exited to be participating in the quarter quell!?"

"How do you feel about being the oldest tributes this year despite being only thirteen?

Cameras flashed and Questions were fired at the district twelve tributes as they were herded off the train, into the bustling capitol central station. Rory glared at the ground ignoring the screams and shouts of the crowed that longed to touch his hand or ruffle his hair. Prim on the other hand was the complete opposite of her male counterpart. She looked around the capitol in severely over dramatized awe, shook the hands of all the capitol citizens she could, and even signed a couple of foreheads with the pen she had managed to sneak off the train.

"Hi!" she said, a little bit too excitedly, as the group of four, Her, Rory, Haymitch and Effie, along with a dozen capital guards reached their limousine. "I'm Primrose Everdeen and this is my district partner Rory Hawthorn! He can be a bit shy sometimes but I'm sure he'll come around! As for your questions, I think the capitol is the most wonderful place I have ever seen! And who wouldn't be excited about a quarter quell I mean it's such an honour to be participating In a games a s great as these ones! Finally I think that even If we are the oldest we still rely on great people like you to get us through these games."

Prim felt extremely stupid saying and doing those things but the moment the car door closed her humiliating actions were gratified.

"Great job sweet heart." Haymitch remarked holding out his hand for a hi-five. Prim accepted. "The capitol is going to love you"

"Oh Yes". Effie continued "I'm simply positive, that there will be a line of people a mile long just waiting to sponsor you!"

Prim smiled "really? You don't think It was over kill?

"Not in the slightest!"

"Please sweet heart, we're in the capitol. Do you think there is such a thing as over kill? snorted Haymitch as he motioned towards Effie's bright green ensemble which actually glowed whenever she walked, compared to the faded pink reaping dress prim was still wearing her escorts certainly seemed over done, but when they had been walking through the central station crowds the dress had blended in, almost to a point where she seemed under dressed for such a grand occasion.

Effie rolled her eyes and continued on as if she had not heard Haymitches comment.

"You young man need to change your attitude" Said Effie turning to Rory. "If you want any chance of winning this you're going to have to get the capitol to like you."

Rory scoffed "If prim and I have the same angle then there's absolutely no way the capitol is going to like me. Besides unlike little miss suck up over here, I'm not very good at this whole pretend to like murderers stuff."

"What did you just call me?"

"Little miss suck up. do you have a problem with that?"

"No. but my fist does." prim said raising her right hand in a mock threatening manor, of course she wouldn't actually hit him, even though

"Oh, sorry man hands"

"urrg! I can't stand you, Prissy pants!" said prim as she lowered her fist to rub her temple.

"Oh so did your fist loose the will to punch me? or are you just going to use all that built up anger to kill me in the arena?"

This caught Prim completely by surprise. How could Rory even think of such a thing? Sure the two disliked each other but prim had always thought that it was in a very violent brother and sister sort of way. Surely they wouldn't actually kill each other!? The shoulders the skinny thirteen year girl sagged and her chin which and been raised in anger fell too.

"I don't want to kill you." she said, choking up "I don't want to kill anyone." Prim looked up at Rory as a tear spilled down the side of her face.

Rory looked back at Prim in shock. Had he gone too far? Of course he had, what person wanted to think about killing the only one who knew what she could be going through. no way was he saying sorry though, he had already said that horrible word to prim twice yesterday!

So instead he grinned "Please tomato face if anything is going to kill me it'll be the capitol citizens and all their funky perfumes, I could barley breath back there." Rory made a gagging noise and pretended to die in his seat. Though it didn't stop the tears i did lighten the mood, Prim hiccupped and gave a small smile.

"That is no way to be talking about the lovely people who have welcomed us so nicely, chipmunk cheeks" replied prim giggling.

The two laughed, but stopped and glared at each other when they realized the other was too, before breaking out in to a full relapse of giggles. This was probably the friendliest situation that had ever occurred between them, and all it took was a death pageant and a few tears to create.

"Well I hate to break apart this little bonding moment," said Hayitch sarcastically. " but In a few minutes, when we get to the training center, you are going to meet your stylist, as well as you're prep team, their job is to re make you into human dolls. Now, what they're going to do to you will be painful, torturous, and over all just plain in humane. But no matter what you must not complain. Got It? "

"What do you mean, remake?" asked Rory skeptically.

"I mean rip all your body hair out, chop off your hair, pluck your eyebrows and paint your faces. If you're really ugly, they might perform a surgeryor two as well"

Prim and Rory held their leg hair as their jaws dropped.

"But you two aren't ugly at all" said Effie as she nudged Haymitch and gave him the "knock It off look." she had seen Prim use on Rory.

"And honestly it's not bad at all."

Prim and Rory didn't believe her though, and as the car door opened and they were pulled into rooms filled with bath tubs filled with smelly goo, long tweezers and sharp objects they knew one thing for sure.

This was going to hurt.

* * *

Prim was Right, This whole remake thing hurt. A lot. But staying true to what Haymitch had told her, prim stayed quiet. Not a word escaped the thirteen year olds lips, expect of course for the occasional "thank you!" or "Wow! I never knew that my (insert body part) looked so great without hair!" both of which were lies but she found her prep team reacted quite well too.

.

"I must say!" said Venia, a tall thin woman with spiky blue hair "you are by far the most enjoyable tribute this team has ever had the pleasure of working with!"

Prim had just commented on how fantastic her now hairless legs looked

"Oh yes!" continued the middle aged man with bright orange cork screw curls that Prim had come to know as Flavius "I haven't heard a single complaint out of you!"

"Ugh, I do hate it when we get complainers" Finished Octavia, The girl who could not have been much older than Katniss, despite having forest green skin.

"Thank you." Prim said a little bit too enthusiastically "I don't know why anyone would complain about such a great opportunity! I mean getting the chance to look as beautiful as any of you three!" That was by far the worst lie prim had come up with since the reaping, and she had made up with a lot.

"Oh, such a sweet girl!"Said Flavius happily "And now that we've cleaned you up a bit, you don't look half bad either!" Cleaned her up **_a bit?_** Prim had never been so painfully clean her life! her skin was bright red from all the scalding showers and 'exfoliating scrubs' the team had put her through. Every little bit of dirt under her nails had been scraped away not to mention how unnaturally silky smooth and knot free her hair now was. Squeaky clean was not enough to describe this thirteen year old! In fact Prim was basically shining. Who knew a girl could miss her comfortable layer of dirt and dandruff so much?

The prep team slipped off the thin robe that Prim had been able to wear while they waxed her legs, which by the way hurt a lot, and circled her looking for any stray hairs they might have missed during the fifty times they had shaved, waxed, and laser treated her body.

"You know" said Octavia as she plucked a stray hair off Prim's left eyebrow "I think we just might be ready to get Cinna" she looked to her comrades for confirmation, who nodded approvingly.

"Cinna?" asked prim

"Your stylist silly!" answered Flavius as if he found the antics of his young tribute hilarious.

"You mean, you're not my stylists?"

The three capitolites who prim found resembled parrots laughed well naturedly.

"Oh, no, no, no! my dear primrose we are merely your prep team and we get to make you look normal. But Cinna! The lucky groosling, gets to make you took Gorgeous!"

"Oh! I remember now!" exclaimed prim, though she didn't remember at all. "He's good right? I mean he won't put me out there stalk naked and covered in coal dust, will he? Not that that's not great and innovative or anything. But, he won't, right?

The prep team gasped as if prim said something highly offensive.

"Great" prim thought "all my hard work ruined by just a couple of words!"

But then they broke down laughing.

"Please!" Venia said through fits of giggles" Cinna do something as mediocre as that?!"

"You looked scared out of your wits for a moment there," Flavius said, tears In his eyes as If thinking at how funny the fashion mishap had been "but don't worry that stylist... Tigress? or something like that. Got fired the moment those hunger games ended!"

"But you can't honestly tell me that you have never heard of Cinna's work? Even all the way out there In district twelve? His fashions have been all the rage ever since last year's hunger games! It's a shame his tribute had to die on him, though if she had made it at least to the top eight he would have been ten times more popular!"

"Oh yes poor Cinna!" said prim with as much sarcasm as she could muster. It was probably a good thing that the prep team was too busy laughing to notice her rudeness. Instead, they stood told her that she would see Cinna In a few minutes before leaving, laughter still In their voices.

Prim stood alone stalk naked and furious. How could that stupid prep team of hers feel sorry for Cinna? Had he died at fifteen? Prim didn't think so. Was he buried ten feet underground with a gash the size of a light bulb in his head? Definitely not.

She angrily trudged over to the corner of the small remake room where her robe had been tossed when the prep team began their final inspection of prim. Sliding it on she looked at the buttons on the door way before deciding a large blue one looked pretty and pushed it. Prim's look anger was immediately replaced with one of awe, as a couch and a coffee table replaced the ignoramus bath tub which had originally taken up that space. With a push of the green button that sat on the arm chair of the arisen table plates of mouth watering food materialized.

Prim sat down on the soft, plushy couch and stared longingly towards the multitude of sandwiches before her.

"Wow," said a deep voice as it stepped through the door. "I see you've figured out how to get the food. I'm quite impressed."

"Thank you" replied prim stiffly "So I suppose you're Cinna." Prim looked the man up and down, he seemed to be dressed far too simply for a hunger games designer, or even a capitol citizen for that matter. His hair appeared to be It's natural colour of brown and his dark skin had not been dyed any strange colours like Octavia's. In fact he could have been a typical district citizen, had It not been for his healthy body weight and gold eye liner.

"Since I can tell you're hungry, Why don't we eat, and then we'll get down to business.

* * *

"So" said Cinna

"So" repeated Prim.

"Tonight is the tribute parade. Do you know what that's about?"

"Its to show us off to the world" Replied prim. she really wanted to add "and so the rich people in the capitol can bet on which of us meat pieces will win." but she figured It wasn't a great idea.

"True." The stylist commented. "But it's also a night when first impressions are made, and here in the games, a first impression is most likely the only one you'll get."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, unless the capitol likes what they see in the twenty minutes that you're riding around the city, you won't get a second glance, and that's where I come in"

"So you're here to make sure I give a good first impression?"

"No, I'm here to get you noticed, hopefully in a good way. what you do with that attention Is up to you."

"OK. so what's your plan to get me noticed?" prim asked. Cinna grinned sheepishly, in a way that made him look slightly like a mad man

"Have you ever heard the legend of the phoenix?" he asked. Prim shook her head, and the smile on Cinna's face grew. "well thousands of years ago there was a legend of a fire bird who when It died burned up into nothing but ashes and coals."

"well that's depressing" said Prim. She had no clue why she let such an Impolite comment slip, but some how she felt Cinna wouldn't take it the wrong way. The Stylist chuckled and ruffled her hair.

"I like you kid" he said. "But any way. from the ashes and coals of the previous bird a new phoenix would arise, This one even brighter than the first."

"Cool" said prim nodding "just one thing, why are you telling me this?"

"Because this year you are going to be my phoenix queen"

"Whoa" prim muttered "So can I see the costume?"

"no way!" said Cinna as he slid a blind fold over Prim's eyes "It's a surprise"

He called in the prep team, and with them slid a dress over Prim's shoulders, put some rancid smelling goo on her nails and began to paint her face. The whole beatification process took over an hour but this time prim didn't mind it as much because of the lentil ways Cinna and the Preps handled the outfit and Prim as they dressed her.

"can I open my eyes yet?" asked prim in an extremely childish manor half way through the makeover. Her question was met with four over exasperated sighs and instructions to keep quiet though prim could tell their angry tone was not real. Though to keep her from getting board they included her in the conversation.

"Do you have any family back home?" Cinna asked

"Yup." Prim replied "I've got my mom and my sister, katniss"

"what about your dad?" Octavia questioned curiously.

"Oh... umm" prim could feel tears welling up in her eyes at the thought of her dad, her best friend, who's smile would light up a room, who could make mom glow with happiness, her dad, who wasn't here any more. No. she couldn't cry, not twice in one day, not here. So instead prim stuffed the thoughts of dad into the back of her mind.

"he died in a mining accident a couple years back" she said

"oh sweetie I'm so sorry!" apologized octavia as she reached out to pat her tribute comfortingly on the hand.

"no no its perfectly alright" prim squeaked an octave higher than her voice normally was. after a short awkward silence the conversation, this time far less personal, resumed.

"how are you liking the capitol, which food if the best here in the capitol? What are you most looking forward to in the capitol?" and many other capitol related questions were asked until the preps and cinna finally took off the blind fold, applied about a pound of paint to Prim's eyes and walked her over to a full length mirror before finally saying

"OK, open your eyes" and when prim did she gasped. the girl was clothed in a gorgeous white dress which when she swayed left to right appeared to be a flame so hot It would burn anyone who came within five feet. Her hands immediately went to her neck as she stroked the silky fabric encasing half of it before running her hand up and down the rest of the tight sleeveless bodice.

"Innocent yet deadly" muttered Cinna dreamily as he arranged the puffy skirt which shimmered white with glints of the bright purples, greens, and blues only flames of the hottest sorts could be. The same colors decorated prims arms in swirling flame tattoos and hair with small sparkling ribbons which and been woven into the single braid that ran down her back.

Her eyes were painted green and purple and her lips had been dyed blue. But what truly made the out fit un forgettable were the phoenix wings which sat daintily on prim's upper back, though mot very big, they were sure to catch the attention of anyone within a miles distance, because they were made of actual feathers, but not in the sense of bird feathers, but where each feather would normally be on a bird a small flame was, so that the wings were completely made out of fire!

"wow." muttered prim looking into the mirror.

"wow"said Octavia seemingly hypnotized by the dress

"Wow" said Flavius as he attempted to fashion his curls in a way that would resemble a flame

"wow" said Venia as she picked up prims braid, examining it. The three wited for Cinna's "wow" but it never came, and only in that moment of the absent homage to his own skill did they realize that the genius behind Prim's stunning ensemble was no longer in the room.

"Cinna?" the group called.

"sorry!" he called back from down the hall way. He dashed into the room, a small velvet box in his hand, and closed the door before catching his breath.

"I nearly forgot this!" he explained "Close your eyes" prim obliged and the stylist fixed somthing on the top of her head. a small crown made of ashes and coal.

"Now you truly are my Phoenix queen"


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everybody. Peacekeeper321 messaged me with this chapter and asked if I could put it in. I'ts from Rory's point of view and describes his time in the remake center. Hope you like it, and If you want to write a chapter from the point of view of one of the other tributes let me know! But Rory has already already been called by Mr/Ms.321. For a full list of tributes that are document able please refer to chapter 9 and then Pm me with your chosen tribute :) only if you want of coarse.**

i look at the strange guy in the eye "so what is your name" I say to the guy with red lipstick  
he looks at me and says  
"Castro"  
Castro points to a women who looks more crazy than Effie and says "that's is Kristie"  
he gestures at another women  
"and that is Madge" She is kinda pretty but looks the same as the Kristie. Looking at them, I realize how much they differ from me.  
Castro looks at me "we have a lot of work to do"  
Madge looks at him "not as much as you might think"  
Kristie looks at me "he is kinda handsome"  
"well alright, lets start" Castro attacks me try's to rip off my clothes, I hit him right in the eye and he falls over, with a thud  
Madge and Kristie grab me, throw me on the table and hold me down. they're surprisingly strong.  
"GET OFF ME" I screech  
"CALM DOWN" one of them yells  
It takes me about 5 minutes, but eventually I calm down.  
Madge looks at me "are you alright"  
"yeah" i say  
they let me go slowly  
we just sit there for a little while until Kristie nudges me leans over  
"say sorry to Castro" she commands  
I glance at Castro who is holding ice to his eye  
"sorry." I mutter "didn't expect it. I guess I just got scared"  
he looks at me, considering the apology "its alright Rory"  
"But can you please take all your clothes of i'm just trying to do my job"  
should i hit him again. but I instead oblige and strip until I'm standing in front of my prep team completely n***.  
That's when the torture begins. since hair any where but on your head is a major fashion foux pas in the capitol, they decide to take all mine away,they also seem to think I smell bad and have "Dry skin" so they make me take about fifty baths in just about every liquid I have ever seen plus about thirty new ones. Why were they bathing me in mud if I smelt bad?  
it takes them a long time and after about four hours I start to hate my preps. but finally, Castro falls in the chair  
"done"  
i let out a loud sigh  
"yeah lets go get Portia" Madge says  
" Please, not more" I say  
"oh don't worry" Castro reply's  
they leave then i stand up and look for a robe or anything to cover my self with. my search was unsuccessful. The door opens and closes. i turn around and there is a women i didn't. see she looks at me.  
"why hellllllloooooo there" she says  
she throws a robe at me  
"put this on"  
about 2 minutes later she look at me and says "you're not bad. I have a lot to work with"  
"so what is going to happen tonight" i say  
she smiles "i thought you wouldn't ask"  
she stands up and walks out the room she comes back with my prep team she is holding a black bag with something inside of it  
"close your eyes" Castro walks over nervously. His eye has swelled to the size of a plum and holding a rag to it. In his other is a long strip of cloth.  
"i'm going to put this around your eyes. Please don't punch me" I nod and he puts it around my head and i feel them begin working.  
"so i guess your Portia" I say  
"yeah" I hear Portia's voice  
"so you never answered my question" I say  
"which one was it again" Portia replies  
"what is going to happen today" i ask  
"oh, yeah. so today is tribute parade, It's when the capitol will get a first impression of you. so don't screw this up, alright? " Portia says  
"alright" i say  
"can i take off my blindfold of" i say  
"no" they all say.  
it feels like forever before they finally let me take it off  
"alright take of the blind fold" Portia says  
I look at the person in the mirror. i have never met before, his name is Rory but he has never looked this good. Portia looks at me and says  
"damn i'm good"  
"Ya,I guess you are pretty good"

* * *

"you look like an over grown peacock" prim informed rory as they made their way towards the district twelve chariot. Had his back not been abnormally straight, his fire wings on properly,and his facial expression not so pompous he might have looked like the phoenix he was supposed to. He had apparently decided not to, so the only thing he resembled was a peacock.

"oh, shut up" Rory replied. though his posture changed into that of a normal boy and he slid the pale tan straps which held up his wings into place.

"That's better" prim said as she stood back to examine her parade partner. He has wearing a pair of baggy cargo carpi pants. made of the same silky white fabric as prim's dress bodice, though his had red, orange and yellow flames dancing up the fabric, not green, blue, and white. His bare chest was covered in charcoal black tatoos that swooped and swirled there way on to his stomach and arms. his face, though mostly clear of make up looked a tad more dangerous than its impish features normally allowed, and his head was lightly dusted with gold powder so that it matched the intricately designed band which encircled his left arm.

"why did your stylist put a tiara on you?" Rory asked. "are you supposed look like a fairy princess?"

"no" replied prim irritably "were supposed to be the phoenix queen and king. I'm sure your stylist..."

"Portia" Rory interjected.

"Portia" prim repeated "will show up in a few minutes with a crown at least double the size of mine."

Rory rolled his eyes, there was no way Portia would make him wear something as embarrassingly girly as a crown. But just when he managed to banish any doubt of his head sporting anything other than gold flecks, Porta rounded the corner, a black crown, probably five times as big as Prim's. Rory's jaw dropped, prim busted a gutas Portia, appeared in font of her tribute and placed a crown on his head.

"here" she said "now you two are officially a thing."

"you honestly want me to wear _that?_" rory asked.

"Oh don't worry!" Portia replied "both the crowns will look a whole lot better once we light them on fire!" Prims smile immediately melted off her face.

"what?"

Portia sighed and began to explain the mechanics of the artificial flame, though all the two thirteen year olds she was about to light on fire heard were the words, fire, flame, and burn. seeing that their horrified expressions hadn't changed at all. she rubbed her face in a was that managed not to smear her make up.

"have either of you noticed how your wings are on fire but you aren't yet dead?"

if either of the two had one of those "light bulb moments" as they were referred to in the capitol they didn't have time to say anything.

"All tributes to their chariots!" a voice boomed through out the large stable."

Prim and Rory ran to their chariot closely followed by their stylists, mentor and escort. this year their cart was made of glass that had been burned on the bottom ad a little bit up the sides so that it was black as coal. The doors opened and the district one chariot rolled out onto lively capitol streets.

"any last minute advice?" Rory asked Haymitch

"Make sure you stand out." He said

"I don't think we'll have a problem with that" Prim gestured to her amazing costume.

"Costumes can only take you part of the way" he replied pointedly. "You have to stand out as people to them"

"ya, cause they totally see us as people" muttered Rory under his breath so that only prim could hear. she smirked.

"oh, maybe you could hold hands or something!" piped up Effie excitedly "show them that you are united as a district, even in the hunger games!" Haymitch nodded, he liked the idea, even if it did come from Effie. the chariot jolted forward as the horses pulling Prim and her partner began to walk towards the stable doors.

"good luck" cinna muttered to prim as he lit her crown a blaze "not that you'll need it"

"chin, up, back straight" prim thought as she remembered Katniss' final words to her back in good by room a few days back.

"Smile" Effie called. that was the last thing they heard before the capitol cheer's deafened them. Prim and Rory gripped hands so they wouldn't fall off their chariot. they began to smile and wave, as people screamed and gasped at not only their gorgeous costumes but their daring hand holding statement as well. Thetwo waved and smiled as they were paraded by the city.

"Twelve! Twelve! Twelve" the capitolites chanted as Prim and Rory passed them by. prim saw her self on the super sized television that hing above her and smiled, she didn't look nearly as stupid as she thought she would with a fire on her head, neither did Rory unless you looked at him for too long.

"PRIM! PRIM! OVER HERE PRIM!" a young voice called from the crowd. Prim looked around and found a young capitol boy, who could be no older than five dressed in a bright turquoise suit. he was jumping and waving his arms frantically trying to get the girls attention. he succeeded . Prim waved, and the boy blew a kiss at her, she pretended to catch it and planted it on her cheek. The crowd awed when the small interaction was played on the big screen but their reaction was nothing compared to when she blew a kiss back. The little boy squealed like a girl, caught the kiss and ran back to his mother who mouthed the words "Thank you" to prim before being engulfed in the crowed which went insane at the sight of her blown kiss."

They began to chant Prim and Rory's names. Though District one's ancient Egyptian costume and District three's electrically charged jump suits got some attention nearly one hundred percent of the crowds cheers were directed towards the Tributes of district twelve. so much so that only after five minutes of President Snow trying to silence the audience did the chants of "PRIM AND RORY' cease.

"Welcome, Welcome!" he began "Tributes, we welcome you. and we salute your courage, and your sacrifice! And we wish you, happy hunger games!"

"And may the odds be ever in your favor"

**So how was it? please review! **


	8. Chapter 8

**Enjoy :)**

"You know I can't bet. But if I could, I would bet on you" Prim stepped into the launch tube. This was probably the last person she would ever see outside of the arena. wait. The arena? no, no, no this wasn't right! there was still so much time before the arena! what happened to the training, the interviews? She shouldn't be here in the launch room already!

"Good luck girl on fire" cinna said as the glass cylinder enclosed prim. Girl on fire? There was definitely something was wrong. Prim was the Phoenix queen! Not this girl on fire! The metal cylinder slowly began to rise and prim began to panic, she wasn't ready, what if she and Rory weren't an alliance anymore? what if she died by not following some piece of advice Haymitch had given her!? In one last glance down at cinna she saw him tap the bottom of his chin.

"chin up , look confident" his eyes said. So Prim raised her chin, but when her eyes flicked up she caught a glimpse of a reflection in the mirror standing at the back of the room. The person the thirteen year old saw wasn't her. She was dressed in clothes, identical to the tribute outfit last year. But it wasn't Susan, district twelve's tribute in the 74th games. Instead of wavy auburn hair and blue eyes this girl had the dark hair and grey eyes of a typical seam resident. Hair and eyes identical to those of her older sister! Katniss! No! She couldn't be in these games! Prim needed her older sister! So did the rest of district twelve, unlike prim, Katniss was good enough of a hunter to bring in enough meat and herbs to basically up hold the economy of twelve. Her competing in the hunger games would be catastrophic!

The arena appeared before prim and she was forced to put katniss out of her mind. huge wheat fields to the left, a forest to the right. The forest for sure, she could climb trees and hide.

30... the countdown had begun.

Prim scanned the surrounding pedestals. Where was Rory?

25...24...23

Peeta? Why was he here? he had died last year from blood poisoning.

20...19...18

who else was here? Clove last year's victor.

10... 9... 8...

a small girl from district eleven whom rory had told prim resembled, once she had been killed with a spear.

5... 4... 3...

prim readied herself to run.

3...2...1...

the cannon boomed, prim jumped of her pedestal and into reality.

She sat bolt upright in her soft capitol bed, gasping for air, cold sweat running down her face. She was not in the games, not yet at least. instead she was in the district twelve "penthouse sweet"where she and Rory would be boarding until the hunger actually began. Though Effie assured her was equip with the finest of everything Prim couldn't help feeling like she was actually in a dolled up death row. The fact that the windows were electrically charged didn't exactly help eliminate the feeling.

"no more hunger game replay's for me" prim muttered as she lay down, just as she would the rest of the night, in an attempt to fall back asleep

* * *

The next morning prim had bags so big and hair so unmistakably tangled that cinna took a double take and Portia's jaw actually dropped. She barley even noticed when Rory pulled back her chair as she was sitting down causing her fall on the ground.

"oww" she mumbled sleepily, too tired to give the normal angry response she normally would. Haymich broke out into a drunken laugh revealing he was still drunk from last nights party.

"Manors!" Prim reminded Rory in an unamused tone, while Cinna walked over to prim and helped her up.

"rough night" he asked prim nodded and sat down,dozing off for most of Haymitch's training instructions. All she really heard was something about staying together and she only really heard that because he shouted "GOT THAT EVERDEEN? STAY TOGETHER." momentarily waking her up.

a couple of minutes later she excused her self saying something about needing to wake up and get ready. no, one argued,since it was true and she managed to make it into the bathroom unscathed. actually being in the bathroom however was a completely different story. there were about 5 bazillion different buttons most of which fired either boiling hot or freezing cold water at the girl in a very painful manor. But finally she found a button which emitted water which only lightly scalded her skin. she massaged multiple goos in her hair and when she finally stepped out of the shower she was, though a bit red, good as new! She wrapped a towel and walked into her bedroom, where an out fit had been laid out on the bed. Probably by Cinna.

"were leaving in five minutes dear!" Effie called through the door. Prim quickly slid on the tight pair of black athletic leggings and threw the white sweat proof tank top Cinna had designed before quickly braiding her hair back and dashing out the door to meet Effie at the elevator.

"you're late!" Rory said with a devilish smile, he was obviously mocking Effie. His dark hair was messy and he was wearing the same bleck leggings as prim but while she wore a tank top he had on a baggy white tee shirt.

Effie scoffed. "Actually she is right on time!"

The three headed down and though they were fifteen minutes early half of the tributes had already arrived. Effie waited with them for a while before heading outwith the other escorts telling them to do their best as Atala, the head trainer took to the floor. She explained the basic rules on the training center, read them a list of the stations, reminded them not to fight before releasing the twenty four tributes to train.

The District one and two tributes immediately walked over to the hand to hand combat station and began wrecteling with sparing partners,beating and knocking them out with ease.

"come on" Rory said as he headed towards the weaponry station. Prim followed and for a while they headed over to the knife throwing station. the trainer looked them up and down before pointing to Rory.

"No." he said

Rory looked surprised at his immediate rejection "what?! Why not!?"

"our center of balance is way off and your steps are far to clunky" the trainer said "shoo" Rory stalked off muttering some rather insulting words.

"Good" the trainer said turning towards prim "now in you I see potential!" He began to show prim the basics of knife throwing like how she should hold her arm and the best releasing techniques, but when prim managed to lodge the knife into the crack of a wall thirty feet away it was decided that she was ready to learn at the intermediate level. They spent over an hour together and in that time prim learned how to drop roll while throwing a knife, offset a flying weapon with a flick of her hand, and and aim a knife at someone from a tree thirty feet in the air.

"thank you, but I think its time for me to go" Prim said when she noticed the careers undoubtable glances towards her.

"Oh but I still have so much to teach you!" Replied the man sadly

"I'm sorry!" apologized prim, after all she was having fun too "But" she lowered her voice "I think I'm getting some unwanted attention."

the Trainer glanced over Prim's shoulder and immediately understood "oh alright just make sure you come back tomorrow!"

"You got it mister!" Prim went off to get Rory so she could drag him to some far less impressive looking survival station. When she reached the spear station though she found him locked in competition with another were throwing spear after spear both grinning broadly at this small amount of fun they were able to enjoy despite their surroundings.

The District 3 tribute threw a spear which found its way into the heart of a dummy. he laughed, impressed with himself.

"Ha! beat that"

"you underestimate my ability" Rory replied arrogantly he took stance and managed to embed his spear in the eye socket of the same dummy.

"Eh, not bad, I'm Cartridge by the way" he held out his hand.

"Rory" the district twelve tribute said taking it. They went back to throwing spears and after about 2 seconds the trainer realized that stationary targets weren't going to be good enough for the boys and he began launching rubber chickens into the air.

The boys look at each.

"First one to ten?" Cartridge asked.

"looser kisses my partner?" Rory shot back with a smirk as he pointed to prim

"Hey! I do not agree to this!"prim objected. Castridge looked down blushing but grinned when he saw the mischievous look in Rory's eyes.

"your on"

"On three"

"One"

"two"

"Three!" Spears began to fly up into the air and within thirty nineteen chickens had been nailed to the wall, spears through their heads. The nineteenth, however had managed to catch two spears at the same time. one through the heart, the other in the eye. The boys had glanced towards the Careers who had momentarily stopped the construction of their knocked out combat trainers pyramid to stare at the spear throwing boys pure loathing written all over their faces.

"what the hell do you think you're doing" Sophie, Kastridge's district three partner said tugging on his ear.

"Ow, Oww, Owww! that hurts ya know!" Sophie rolled her eyes smiling and let go. rubbing his ear Kastridge continued " I was just having some fun!"

"well have your fun in a less impressive way! other wise the careers will try to recruit you"

"and then I'll say no!" replied Kastridge as if it were obvious.

"Oh great plan! Because then they definitely won't try to kill you the first chance they get if you refuse!"

"Yah... too bad I don't care all that much "

The Careers began to whisper and laugh, but prim could tell it was forced. They had overheard the conversation, and they were scared. They were scared of Kastridge, they were scared of Rory, they were scared of Prim, they were even scared of Sophie

"so since you two tied, I'm not getting kissed right?" prim asked cautiously. her question was answered as two pairs of wet slobbery lips were planted on either cheek.

"Ugh! Boys are so weird"

When The lunch bell rang and all the tributes filed into the lunch room, Peanut butter and jam sandwiches the menu read. Prim had no idea what peanut butter or Jam was but that didn't stop her from piling her plate high with three or four of them. She grabbed a carton of something called chocolate milk and headed over to Rory who had already pushed the district twelve table next the District three one. He laughed along side his new friends as prim sat down on the bench and joined the conversation.

"ok so she calls my name and I go up there and she has the nerve to ask me whether or not I'm exited. so do you know what I do?" Kastridge was the middle of recounting is reaping day in district three.

"Oh dear god" muttered Sophie as she placed her hands over ears.

"What?" Rory asks excitedly.

"I say 'oh yah! for sure. about as exited as you are to hear this...'" Kastridge then lets loose a belch so loud and long it silences the rest of the lunching tributes.

"he didn't" Prim asked Sophie

"he definitely did" Sophie replied in disgust.

"THAT WAS SO COOL!" rang a voice from across the cafeteria. All four heads whipped around to find the source of the comment. They found the district eight boy rushing across the room, a huge grin on his face. he held up his hand

"I do believe that deserves the highest of fives" when Kastridge didn't take it though his grin faded into a smile "come on dude! don't leave me hanging!" hesitantly, as if nervous about making a new friend Kastridge reached up and slapped his hand. eight's grin returned and he sat down in an unused chair near by.

"and what you guys did those spears? Gnarly! figured out this morning that I'm not half bad with with the twin blade my self, ya know If you two give me a lesson with one of those spears I'll show you how my blade works!"

Rory smiled. he had absolutely no clue what a twin blade was but is sounded totally cool.

"deal" he said. the three started a new conversation which involved a lot of gas and laughter, Prim and Sophie acted as if the whole conversation repulsed them and kept quiet eating their sandwiches cracking up at the funnier burps of farts. Their fun was interrupted though when the Careers decided to call.

"Hey gas heads, over here" the district two male, Jeremy said "No not you eight, sit your butt back down"

"what?" Rory asked once they reached the table

"well, we were thinking, and you two don't seem to behalf bad with spears, so as a group we have cometothe conclusion that... your in."

"In what?" Rory asked

"The group, the alliance, the careers if that's what you want to call it" answered Samantha, of district two,as if she were speaking to a three year old.

Rory laughed "Oh I'm so honored, but unfortunately I'm going to have to decline because, you see I still have a set of morals. come on Kastridge lets go." he tried to leave but Kastridge wouldn't budge.

"See your friend over there is a lot smarter than you. He knows when to jump off a sinking boat" Jeremy said to Rory. "Sit down at the victors table bud. feel the power"

"No" said Kastridge with disgust "I won't sit with you know. I won't sit with you ever! Not scum like you. how could you even think for a second that anyone would want to join a group of back stabbing, blood thirsty little demons! You people are animals!

"What did you just call me?" Jeremy shouted standing up

"an animal! you and all your little friends!"

"What do you wanna go?"

"Please I could take you any day"

"Kastridge don't" Rory whispered, holding his friend back. sure he was stupid, but he wasn't this stupid. No body wanted to be on the bad side of the careers.

"what? Is little Rory scared that I'll hurt him too" taunted Jeremy.

Rory let go. "never mind do it"

Kastridge jumped up and hammered one's gorgeous face in, immediately Rory did the same did the same and in the ten seconds that it took the trainers to separate the boys, the two had managed to give Jeremy two black eyes and a broken nose. escaping only with a few bruises themselves.

"Urgh!" Jeremy moaned on the floor as medics carried him away. Atala came rushing towards them.

"Eight years, Eight years I have worked here and nothing this horrible has ever happened" She spat at them angrily "Get out of my gym!"

Rory and Kastridge high fived as they rode the elevator back to the compartments but as the district three tribute exited the elevator an impending sense of dread and doom filled Rory.

Effie was going to kill him.

**Longest chapter yet! Hope you liked it. Please remember how so very important your reviews are to me!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey :) Thanks a bunch to royacarmelle, clovelylittlreader, and Peacekeeper321 for your reviews! I made a mistake last chapter, Kastridge's name is spelt with a K not a C. Quick reminder that the reason Prim is so good at knife throwing is because she had months of practice before the games hunting in the woods with gale and Rory after Katniss broke her leg (in my story not the real hunger games). I'm trying my best not to Character bash but sometimes I get a bit caught up in writing so If I do please let me know right away so I can fix it! wow long authors note...**

the next morning Rory, Prim, Effie, and Haymitch sat around the breakfast table in an awkward silence, Effie was still obviously miffed about what Rory had done yesterday and nobody wanted to feel the wrath of Effie, not again anyway. Normally Effie was sweet and though a little air headed, she always tried her best to be kind to the tributes. But all that had gone out the window the moment Rory stepped out of the elevator after being suspended from training. She sat down and just about broke into tears complaining about how Rory's actions would affect her before standing up and giving him the longest lecture he had ever experienced on the importance of manors, why we use manors, how bad manors effect every one around us, how Rory's bad manors would effect Prim in the Hunger games, and how Bad manors would effect every one in the capitol, the districts and just about the entire world. Only when Prim returned to the penthouse did Effie stop momentarily to greet prim and ask her how the rest of training went.

"Good"She had replied "He didn't really miss very much,I just worked on some survival skills and Nate taught me howto use a double blade."

Effie huffed,obviously she had hoped that Rory missed far more than what prim had mentioned.

"well you're lucky" then she went on on about how she expected an apology note for nearly every one in the training center by the time. she handed Rory a stack of paper, told him there was a pen in his room and marched away closley followed by the boy who was grumpily muttering something about hand cramps.

Rory had not finished the letters by dinner and barley managed to finish them by breakfast the next morning. He hadbeen in so much of a rush that the last dozen letters or so simply read:

_To whom it may concern,_

_I'm sorry_

_Rory_

"so," said prim in an attempt to break the silence which loomed over the group at breakfast "where are Cinna and Portia?"

Haymitch replied

"they left early, said they needed to add some touches to your outfits." Haymitch replied "By the way three and eight called last night. They want alliances"

"Really?" asked Rory excitedly "say yes to 3! and 8 seems pretty cool so yes to them too"

"Ugh. I'm ok with 4 but I'm definitely not working with 8. All Nate did was flirt with me the entire afternoon"

"You know Rory,Had you not gotten Kicked out yesterday you might have been able to prevent that."

"Well so-orry" Rory mumbled, stuffing his mouth with scrambled eggs, he didn't know why but the idea of 8 flirting with prim made him angry. Why the hell was that? maybe he was really just mad at Effie...ya,that must have been it.

"OK kids our mission today: make friends"

"What?!" Rory and Prim exclaimed "Why?"

"Well, since we already know the careers hate you, thanks to Rory and his buddy Kastridge, which means that you're going tobe their first targets, so what you have to do now is, get others to like you and team up with them to play a few pranks on the careers. give them someone to hate more than you. Now off you go!"

Ten minutes later Rory, Effie, and Prim met at the elevator and headed down to training. once they began descending Effie immediately turned to Rory.

"No funny Business!" she demanded

"Cross my heart and hope to fly" Rory said jokingly, shooting his hand in the air as if he was taking an oath. Effie, who didn't seem to notice the laughter smiled and nodded approvingly.

"good to see your finally taking this game seriously!" Her answer offended Rory on so many levels. He had probably been taking the games more seriously than she had for the past 15 years of her life! what did she even think these games "seriously" were. he would have asked but the elevator dinged open and effie decided not to wait for the training to start before making her disappearance

"Work hard!" she called as the Elevator closed again and shot back up to the penthouse.

"HAWTHORNE"Atala shouted from across the room "over here! front and center." Rory ran over.

"yes?" he asked the head trainer

"upon looking at the security camera footage I have determined that you are not to blame for yesterdays fight. so unlike your friend I am letting you come to training. However I am now giving you an official warning that If even one thing happens today, I can assure you that you're time in the arena will be long and your death painful. but for now all is good between us" she held out her hand which Rory shook before continuing "However I sense that there is still some hurt on Jeremy's side so I would like you to apologize."

Rory who was in the corner, sobbing at an atrociously loud volume

"your kidding right? I already sent him an apology letter."

"Yes," replied Atala "and he received it, I also received one, as well did most of the staff in the training center. However I do think he deserves something more."

"right.." said Rory and he meandered over to the Balling district one tribute. who smiled triumphantly at the sight of him.

"Got something to say?" Jeremy asked standing up to reveal his tear free face.

"Oh, yes!" Rory shouted so that the entire gym could here "My. dearest. Jeremy. I. am. ever. so. sorry. that. we. fought. yesterday! I, Simply. thought. that. being. the. high. and. Mighty. Career. you. are. you. would. be. able. to. handle. two. weak. and. underfed. tributes. such. myself. and. Kastridge."

"Ah bro it's ok! I forgive you!" He opened his arms and the two hugged "You are so dead" He hissed into Rory's ear.

"Right back at ya "bro""

The two released and Atala called for a line up, again she read out the list of stations and reminded the tributes of the rules before releasing them to train on their own. Prim and Rory decided to go their separate ways so that they would be able to talk to more tributes, cover more ground. Rory immediately went to go talk to the district 8 tributes so she figured, considering that was Nate's district, she would be talking to every one on her own.

First she headed over to the two district four tributes Arista, and Danny. Normally district four would send career districts to the games but prim figured they must start training them later than districts one and two since no one had volunteered this year. Since Arista was only 8 and Danny only 7 this years careers had given them the boot. They were at the survival skills station making fish hooks when prim walked up to them.

"Hi" she said. the two only replied by looking up with big scared sea green eyes. Prim kneeled down and faced them so she could try again.

"Hi, my name's prim. whats your name?" she picked up a sharp scrap of metal and tried to fold it into a fishing hook like the ones the other two just had made "Oww!" shesaid as she cut her finger. to stem the blood she put her finger in her mouth. The district four tributes laughed.

"I'm Arista!"the girl said her pale face framed by her long dark hair she pointed to the boy next to her who had dirty blond hair and golden tan skin. "and this is Danny" who waved flashing a blinding white Danny been older he would be drop dead gorgeous. "wanna see something funny?" Arista continued.

"sure" Prim Responded. the faces of both the tiny tributes lit up. They both pisked up oneof their newly made fishing hooks and straightened them out into a pointy arrow shape. then picking up straws they loaded in the pointy arrows.

"Get ready to duck" then taking a deep breath they both blew into the ends of their straws and the hooks shot out and embedded themselves in the back of Tilly's, the district two girls neck. Prim immediately dropped but both Danny and Arista stayed standing

"what are you doing?" prim whispered loudly

"Shhh!" Danny said holding up his seven year old finger to his lips.

"AARHG!" Tilly screeched "All right who did that?!" The two waved to tillyscreaming "Hi" and then dropped down beside prim before breaking out into laughter.

"that was funny!" Arista gasped

"you know I think you and Rory would get along just fine." said prim in what she meant to be a stern way, though the fact that she couldn't stop giggling wasn't helping. After that the three of them traveled from station to station learning how to make fires(that one took a while),tie snares(which all three of them exelled at) and how to camoflage their bodies(they spilled all the paints but succeeded in creating a murky brown color that would blend perfectly into a swamp) Danny even taught taught Prim how to make a fish hook. Eventually lunch was called and the three sat down together enjoying the Mac and cheese that was being served. Prim noticed that Rory had invited the District eleven tributes, Lena, and Joey to sit with him and Nate, The seemeda little nervous at first but eventually their forced smiles turned into happy ones. Half way through lunch a very exited Kastridgeturned up and Immidiatly went to join Rory's group.

"So the gangs back together." Prim thought hapily, that meant that they would be able to sort out the alliance with 3 and maybe 8 this afternoon.

"True to her word with the knife throwing trainer, prim said good bye to Arista and Danny after lunch.

"ok! see ya later" said Arista and Danny happily. They skipped off to the Projectile object station where they began shooting the dummies with their fish hooks.

Over at the at the knife throwing station Prim ran into the district 5 tributes, Rosetta,and Charlie trying their hands with knives. They weren't very good.

"your stance is way off" Said prim to Charlie. He looked at her, not sure what to make of the comment. Here try it like this. she bent down stretched out his stance and re-adjusted his body before stepping back. "Now try"

He threw and though his knife didn't land on the center of his target (or anywhere close for that matter) he managed to get it on one of the outer rings. had prim thrown that knives she would have taken a break because she must be exhausted to throw that badly. But she had had months of practice in the forest with Rory and her petite well balanced figure was meant for knife knife throwing. Charlies abnormally chunky body for an eleven year old, was not.

"wow! Great Job charlie!" Rosetta exclaimed "I wish I could do that!"

"Oh don't worry sweetie! We'll find you a great weapon!" said Prim and they certainly tried, they went to every single weapon station in the training

**Well Thats it thats all I hope you enjoyed! I want to thank everybody for reading my story and helping me get to 1500 views! I really hope you'll all keep reading and Reviewing!**

**So last chapter I introduced Kastridge, My co-writers character, and this is a story of his view on the training center, Day one! hope you guys like it. If you have any reviews for PeaceKeeper321 (The author of this)you can either pm him or review just like normal with the hash tag (#)Peace and I'll send it along!**

* * *

**Hey guys it is peacekepper321 im pretty sure that me and le-procrastonator have talked so much about this story i guess you could call us co wrighters**

**KASTRIDGE POV **

I sit next to the cute boy whose name is Rory, Sophie and prim laughing loudly.

"Hey gas heads" somebody calls everybody stops I look over to see the careers staring at me and Rory. Should i actually go over there but then Rory grabs me and pulls me over there. Nate try's to stand up but one says

"no not you eight, sit your butt back down"

"what?" Rory said towards the careers table

"well, we were thinking, and you two don't seem to behalf bad with spears, so as a group we have come to the conclusion that... your in."

no. please say no Rory

"In what?" Rory asked

"The group, the alliance, the careers if that's what you want to call it" answered Samantha, of district two,as if she were speaking to a three year old. I look at her and i get this feeling of rage so much i cant even move or speak to say no.

Rory laughed "Oh I'm so honored, but unfortunately I'm going to have to decline because, you see, unlike you I still have a set of morals. Come on on Kastridge lets go."he grabs me and try's to push me out of it and i'm still staring at them with all this rage building in me.

"See your friend over there is a lot smarter than you. He knows when to jump off a sinking boat" he says to Rory. I want to clock him right in his pretty face

"sit down at the victors table. Feel the power"

then right there I loose my damn mind and by know if i had a spear i would have cut his head off. But sadly i didn't

"No" I said with hate "I won't sit with you now. I won't sit with you ever! Not scum like you. how could you even think for a second that anyone would want to join a group of back stabbing, blood thirsty little demons! You people are animals!"

One stood up and shouted

"what did you just call me"

no stopping it know "an animal! you and all your little friends!"

"What do you wanna go?" One shouted. I could kill him so easily.

"Please I could take you any day" I say. that's it, he is dying

"Kastridge don't" Rory whispered, he was holding me back."your not this stupid don't be on the bad side of the careers."

"what? Is little Rory scared that I'll hurt him too" taunted Jeremy.I feel this pang of viciousness, hate and disgust. I don't know why should i feel so much anger over nothing? I will figure it out later.

"never mind do it" Rory said

a soon as he said that one hit me in my chest. I kick him in the same place and he falls over. I jump on top of him and do not stop hitting him in the face until a peace keeper grabbed me but i keep hitting one in the face another peace keeper grab me but I keep hit him in the face. I barley notice Rory doing the same. After a about 5 more seconds i hear Atala screeching. all i heard was...

"get out of my gym"

So I stand up ignoring the pain in my chest and high five Rory. We go the elevator, talk for a little while but as soon as i step off the elevator i see Ellie. oh dear god.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU" ellie, My escort/trainer(after the whole burping incident my real escort said she needed some time off to deal with the stress I had caused her, so they ordered Ellie, a past victor to become my escort) said "BEATING THE S*** OUT OF A CAREER? ARE YOU CRAZY?"

I hear Beetee behind me

"Ellie calm down" he says

"NO I WILL NOT HE IS GOING TO END UP LIKE IAN"(74 hunger games male tribute for 3) she is about to hit me i know it. she is walking towards me.

Wiress grabs Ellie before she can do anything

"come on Ellie lets go" Wiress drags her out.

"come on Kastridge lets talk" Beetee says. we talk for what feels like forever. he says how i can't do that and how he is happy and that the careers only invite people if they are scared of.

"so here is what you do, those guys from 12 and 8? call them get them in a alliance" Beetee says, Wiress comes in around this time.

"she is calm but you have to Apologize to One and Atala" she says.

"fine"I say. I was walking away but then Beetee grabs my hand.

"dont forget what i said" he was hinting toward a phone in the back

I grab the phone and walk to my room when i hear Sophie walk in.

"WHERE IS THAT DUMB SON OF A B***? BECAUSE OF HIM THERE IS NO CHANCE OF ME GETTING IN THE CAREER PACK!"  
my door fly's open and before i can even stand up to defend one sophie hits me square in the face. She turns around and locks the door, she jumps on top of me and smacks, me i feel immense pain coming from my face, i just feel one after another it doesn't stop until i grab her and throw her off me and get on top of her.

i hear pounding on the door but they cant get in

"GET OFF ME" she yells

"CALM DOWN FIRST"i scream

"NEVER! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU"she yells

"I'M SORRY"I yell i get up and walk away. I'm about to open the door when i hear

"Kastridge please come over hear we need to talk"

"alright but in the morning" i say

"no now"

"fine"

"so im sorry about your face" she is holding a towel i notice that i'm bleeding but It stops after about 5 minutes. I have scratches and my noes is in a weird position, not broken probably sprained.

"sorry" she says in my ear. I turn around and look at her

"it's alright" I say

we get closer and closer and then we kiss i stop right away though.

"i cant i need to tell you something"

"what is it about is it what i did to you"

"no i like it rough, just i'm gay." i say

"ooh okay" Sophie replies.

"its just I... well... I actually like Rory " i say

"what why?"

"thats not important its just... I do care about you just not in that way"

"but we should still talk"

when she leaves and after about a box of tissues im finnaly able to grab the phone and i punch in the number 8

I hear I weird sounding man probably, in his 80's and a drunk.

"three? what? why the hell is three calling? what do you want?" he said, I think for a little while.

"woof" i say

"that's my name don't wear it out" woof says

"woof put Nate on the phone" i say

"who" he says

"god damn it your tribute" i say

"ooh ya...why?" he says

"there was a scene in lunch but i'm sure you heard about it" i say  
"yeah 3 wait ... That was you damn you kick the a** of the career? good job. I'm kinda proud" woof says.

"does that mean you give the phone to Nate" i say.

"sure" he says

there is a scream for Nate about 30 secs later i hear

"woof go back to bed" Nate says

i hear him and i know he is on the phone

"wassssssssuuuuuupppp?" i say

"wassssssssuuuuuupppp?" he says

"so i got a quick Q" i say

"if it is to be in a alliance? then it is yes"

"good now 12 is gonna be in it alright" i say

"that is great two extremely deadly people in a alliance with me"he says

"nah, were okay, I bet you're great but I got to go, alright?" I say

"alright. PEEEEEEACE"

"PEEEEEACE" good 2 out of 3

"when i punch in twelve I get nervous. I don't know why though.

"what do you want three" I know it is Haymitch

"good your sober can i talk to rory" i say

"no he is grounded because of you"

"he, jumped in alright just tell him I want an alliance and 8 is in it"

"Fine"

"now meet the end of a bottle fore me"

"alright" he says

silence i walk out to see wiress beete sophie and ellie

"i just want to say im sorry" i say

"its alright" they all say the pain in my chest gets worse i look at them.

"and now im gonna pass out"

all i know is i hit the ground hard i wake up from a nightmare where rory died in front of me. I look up to see Ellie she puts her hand through my hair i flinch at first  
"what time is it" i say

"8:00" what? I jump up and i get all dizzy headed and fall back down on the bed she looks me in the eye

"rest" she says

she must be magic cause i woke up at 12:00 with abigale, my stylist throwing clothes on my bed

"put these on fast, it is already lunch! hurry, go shoo shoo"

i jump up and run to the elevator, press training center button. i run into Atala, literally run into her. She gets so mad i have to stifle a laugh

"CRINSTE am im making this clear NO FIGHTING and i know you started it. Go apologize to jermey" I look to see one fighting the male two in a sword thing.

**Thanks For reading! make sure to review!**


	10. The Poll!

Totally forgot to mention I Put up a poll and I really need answers! I can't post the next chapter until you answer.

if you don't know how to access the poll (cause I totally have no clue how to) just PM me or review me your answer! But it should be on my profile.

The question: Should Rory and Prim become star crossed lovers?


	11. Chapter 10

**Hey**** guys! thanks for sticking with me so far! but really only 1 review(Thanks clovely!) for 200 views? THAT'S IT! I'm not posting another chapter until I get at least 3 reviews...ok so that's probably a lie but please please review!**

Seneca Crane sat in the Game makers panel high above the training center. It was five o'clock in the evening on the third day of training, time for tribute evaluations. This was always his least favorite part of being head game maker. Having to sit through twenty four children doing the more or less the same thing, there was a reason the evaluations weren't shown on TV and it wasn't just to build suspense. Then o course was the big rush to get all the scores ready for national television. The whole thing was just one big annoying hassle.

The door opened and in walked the District 1 male.

"Quicksilver, Adams. District 1 male" he announced as if he were the best thing the group of game makers would see all day, he probably was. Adams, walked over to the weapons station and picked up the biggest, sharpest, most intimidating looking mace there and headed over to the multitude of dummies standing in the middle of the room. how the thirteen year old had managed to pick that up? the head game makers had no clue, that mace was meant for an eighteen year old fully developed career tribute. Seneca couldn't even pick it up...and he had tried...multiple times.

The tribute stabbed and slashed, denting skulls and even managing to rip off a few ligaments with the large spiky ball on the end of the weapon. After, he went over to the gauntlet, an incredibly difficult obstacle course where plat forms rose and fell suddenly all while trainers attacked you with pointy sticks and completed it with grace and ease, while still wielding his mace annihilating anything that came within two feet of him. A few of the newer game makers jaws dropped,they had probably never seen anything so incredible. But to Seneca it was nothing special. he had seen moves like this at least 50 and last year's clove was better.

"alright Thank you very much Adams, you may go now" Patricia, an older game maker said. Many of the youngest game makers sighed in disappointment. He couldn't blame them of coarse half of the apprentices were only a couple of years older than the boy,but it still annoyed him.

after him the district 1 girl was pretty good with her long knife. she could tumble, and roll, decapitate and fight with it which was pretty impressive. Her skills, however didn't even compare with that of Jeremy, the district two male. he could back flip and front flip and dodge and slide but most impressively he could wield just about every weapon with a blade in the gym give him 5 more years and the hunger games would have had another Cato on their hands. That would not have been good, former tribute had gone insane and killed just about every one in the arena. He was even about to murder his own district partner before that little girl from eleven had lodged a rock in his skull. After that Clove had managed to nail her in the chest with her knife and the tree climbing gatherer fell fifty feet to her death, right off the tippity top of the highest tree in the Arena. wow. it had been one of the most memorable Hunger Game Finales ever, he had almost lost his job for it, but it was still pretty fantastic.

Next came the District 2 girl, Samantha who looked rather hunter chic in the training gear shooting a bow, if she won anew trend would definitely be started. When she left Seneca crane was actually disappointing, not because of her skills, oh dear lord no, but because he was dreading the hour and a half, knowing that he would be bored to tears as districts three through twelve would attempt to impress him. he was pleasantly surprised, however, when the as the district three and four tributes presented. The boy from three put on a spectacular show when he repeatedly shot paint balls into the air and caught them on the on the way down by spearing them through the center causing each one to explode decorating the room in a plethora of colors. The district three girl was pretty decent as well managing to get through her little sword routine with out dropping it once, she was even able to beat one of the trainers in a match.

Had the district four tributes been older their spit ball shenanigans would have been completely disgusting but as they were both around seven they managed to round up a couple of "ooohs" and "awws" from the panel above them as they climbed the their way up the net and shot their fish hooks into the dummies ears.

District 5? Raw potential but no clue what to do with it.

District 6: Louis lander? Horrible.

Kendra baler? absolutely positively atrocious.

By the time the district 7 tributes came in Seneca was already ordering the pig. He might have been slightly impressed had he actually been paying attention to the district 8 male slicing and dicing with his two ultra thin swords but he was too busy anxiously awaiting his freshly roasted pig and by the time he looked down all he saw was the female from eight who had some how managed to tangle her self up at the knot tying station.

Districts nine and ten were simply painful to watch and district 11 though not unsightly but far from impressive, the girl was pretty agile though and the boy aced the edible plants and insects test.

Finally!they were nearly done! Only district twelve was left and the smell of roasted pig was beginning to fill the halls. Oh how delicious it was going to be! a nice crunch on the out side. juicy and succulent on the inside, this was going to go very well with a glass of wine.

"umm... Rory Hawthorne District twelve?"

"Ya, ya, kid just get on with it" Seneca replied over his shoulder. he was staring at the door waiting for his dinner to emerge.

"Excuse me? what did you just say!"

"Kid, we've had a long day! just hurry it up"

"yah? well do you wanna know what hasn't been very long? MY LIFE!" Oh no. not again! Rory had to stop right now. He had to keep his temper under control! He really hadn't been himself two days ago when he had beat up Jeremy and if he did it again the game makers would take it out on prim, just like Effie had told him this morning. wait? why was he thinking about prim at a time like this? Whoa. Impending doom must really be changing him.

"so do you think that maybe you could pay attention for a little while longer?" he finished as childishly as he could, he even used the big grey eyes trick that gale had taught him all those years ago. reaction he got was a bit over kill, every single female and atleast half of the males let out guilt filled gasps.

"why of coarse we'll pay attention to you!" a middle aged man, who was obviously a father said.

and they did, gasping and applauding when ever Rory did something impressive, that happened quite often. By the time he was finished every one was smiling, even Seneca. He had to admit, this kid had guts.

when prim came in they were expecting great things, they had seen her throwing knives during training, and she was pretty skilled for a district twelve. Unfortunately they were sorely disappointed. Instead of heading towards the knives she grabbed some bandages and began to wrap them around a dummy until it turned from dummy to mummy.

she left laughing. what the hell was that?

* * *

Back in their district twelve penthouse the gang sat around the Giant 105' television and awaited the voice of Cesar Flickerman.

"Oh sweetie why would you do that?" Effie asked. Prim had just told her about her incredibly horible evaluation

"I don't know, it just that I figured no one would bother coming after me if they thought I was weak."

"But I your so much better than that. I hear your a real wiz with a knife. Why have them ignore you when you could make them scared of you?"

" Chill out Ef." Interrupted Haymitch "I told her to do that this morning. She's gonna be the next Johanna Mason" he pit his hand out in front of him as if looking on into the future and feeling the greatness it would bring.

Effie crinkled her nose. she did not like that victor one bit, her manors were simply awful.

"well if it helps I think I might have done OK. I mean they actually payed attention tome." Haymitch looked over in disbelief.

"They actually watched you"

"I think they might have liked me too" Rory continued mischievously "They even applauded" Haymitch just about dropped his drink. No one ever payed attention to the district twelve tributes In fact most of them were even lucky if they were spared a glance once the pig came in the room.

"Hmm...maybe your not as useless as I thought"

"Gee thanks"

The television blared to life and the capitol anthem began to play as the seal of Panam appeared on screen. Cesar Flicker man, dressed in his usual starry night suit began speaking.

"welcome welcome everyone. Tonight is a big night. a very big night indeed. who's exited!" the cameras flashed to the audience of cheering capitol citizens before turning back to Cesar "Tonight we get to know our special friends a little bit better as we find out how good they are at running, jumping and climbing"

"forgot to add killing" prim thought.

"Now without further a do lets get on with our tribute scoring!"

the television went momentarily dark before a Giant picture of Quicksilver lit up the screen

"From district one Quick silver with a score of... 9"

"Tilly with a score of 8"

"Jeremy with a score of 10"

"Samantha with a score of 9"

both Kastridge and Sophie managed to pull nines while four and five got in the six to seven range. District six, seven and the girl from eight all got threes or fours while nine and ten got two's. Nate however received an eight and the tributes from eleven both pulled off sevens.

"Quite the competition this year" muttered Portia

"But nothing you two can't handle" Cinna assured the two.

It was Rory's turn.

"And now Rory Hawthorne of district twelve will receive... an eleven!" everybody's eyes widened and smiles engulfed the room.

"Great job Kid!" Haymitch said slapping Rory on the back while Effie got up and actually hugged him. Prim elbowed him.

"Nice job, bubble butt" she whispered

"I'll bet you didn't do half bad yourself, chipmunk cheeks" Prim snorted

"You'll see"

"Finally, In the case of Primrose Everdeen" Cesar smirked as if trying to hold back a laugh. "...A one will be given."

"Great job sweetheart you were perfect" Haymitch immediately broke into laughter, he was closely, followed by Prim, and Rory. It had been such a longtime since they had laughed so they were about ready to crack up at anything. Eventually Cinna and Portia began to chuckle and finally Effie began laughing in the most polite, uptight way Prim had ever seen. but that didn't matter, at least they were all smiling."

If only it would last

** Thanks for reading! make sure to review! I really would love three reviews by next chapter!**


	12. Chapter 11

**Sorry for the late post! I kind of crashed right after exams yesterday!**

"Wake up butter cup! you've got training with Effie in three minutes!" Haymitch shouted through Prim's bedroom door.

"wait. what? I haven't even eaten breakfast yet!"

"get used to it Princess. In the arena you won't be eating breakfast unless people like you. and whether or not they like you depends on tonight." Oh right. the interviews were tonight. the night when Cesar Flickerman, with his lavender hair and creepy smile would ask the hunger games tributes all about their personal lives. In front of Panam's entire population. It's not like the girl had any secrets to hide. she just didn't think they would react well to her tripping, or puking fainting in front of a live audience.

Effie knocked on the door.

"I'm coming in!"

Prim realized she was still in bed, her hair was tangled, and her teeth not brushed. Effie would freak if she saw prim in such an unladylike like manor. she jumped out of bed and raced around the room like a mad man. In some freak of nature miracle Prim was able to hop out of bed tie her hair up, pop a mint and pull on some presentable clothing.

"well aren't you looking lively this morning!" said Effie as she closed the door behind her. "I must say, when I didn't see you at breakfast I thought you had forgotten about the early wake up call we had agreed on!"

"Oh no! I just wasn't all that hungry" Prim's stomach grumbled "You know I think it must just be nerves". The girl had definitely forgotten about the agreement.

"and when I heard Haymitch knock on your door, I began to think that maybe you had over slept, which I trust you know is incredibly rude, but a little part of me said, No Effie that is most certainly not true, prim is the best mannered tribute we've had in a long time, and look at you know ready and raring to go!"

"yup... ready and raring..." Prim muttered.

Before she could even fully wake up Effie had chosen a full length gown and a pair of six inch heels for her trainee to wear before sending her off to change. Once Prim had put on the outfit she could barley walk and as a result was only able to take small dainty steps at a time. It took her over three minutes to walk over to the sitting room where Effie now sat but apparently that was a good thing!

"Oh you look simply darling!" exclaimed the escort "and your already at you already walking like a princess too!"

"oh great." Prim thought "at least now she won't make me walk in these stupid heels." But that wasn't the plan, in fact the first hour of their lesson was dedicated solely on how to walk to and from he interview. first her steps had been" a tad too small", "then far far too big" and eventually becoming ooh "almost there it just needs a slight bit more practice". The cycle had repeated its self at least nine times. Prim even learned how to walk up stairs in a dress as long as the one Prim had on, according to Effie and Capitol customs it ought to be done at a three quarter angel, so you would still be able to wave, and with the dress being lifted no higher than her ankle. By the time they sat down it was already ten o'clock and prim had about ten thousand blisters.

"Now I don't thing Cinna will put you in heels but I always like to be safe than sorry. Don't you?" Prim didn't even have time to reply because they immediately moved on to posture.

"no body likes a slouching tribute" Effie said as she began to readjust Prim's shoulders, neck and back to what she deemed was perfection. Then she made her hold the position for not ten, not fifteen, but twenty whole minutes, and by that time her body was just about stuck in its stiff position.

"Oh your just fantastic! Doesn't your back just feel so much better then it did with your sagging shoulders."

"Oh yes Definitely!" Prim replied happily. It most definitely did not, Her bones felt like they would crack and break any second, now prim normally had great posture but this... this was just unnatural. Finally they moved on to smiling, wow, and prim thought walking in heels was painful. Effie taught her how to smile in a way that would flatter her facial features, and laugh it a way that was not obnoxious. Prim was bombed with question after question which she was made to say beginning with a smile, ending with a smile and smiling every where in between. By the time they were finished Prim's entire body hurt but Effie seemed to be rather enjoying her self.

"That was fantastic! " Effie said happily " I wish we could keep it up all day! but unfortunately it's Rory's turn in ten minutes. why don't you go eat some lunch and then go off to Haymitch!"

"Sounds great!" replied prim and she dashed off some how managing to run in heals and a full length dress. maybe Effie had taught her something.

After a hastily scarfed down lunch of something called pizza Prim met Haymitch in his room for their content planning session. For the first five minutes or so the mentor just starred at his female tribute.

"what are you doing?" prim eventually asked

"Trying to figure out your angle" Haymitch replied

"My what?"

"Your angle, your persona, what you are going to be known for in the capitol. all the victors have one. all the people who made it to the final 4 had one"

"Whats yours?"

"ever since I fell off that stage last year, my drinking problem" Haymitch retorted

"Nice...so whats mine going to be?"

"well normally with the twelve and thirteen year old's we go for shy and innocent."

"whats wrong with that? I think I could pull it off, especially you know, considering my ONE"

"In case you haven't noticed, butter cup, you're surrounded by munchkins, the really small type too, nearly every body will be going for cute and innocent."

"oh ya I get what you mean..."

silence fell over the room for another three minutes or so as Haymitch looked intently at prim who was pretending not to notice. What would her angle be hers? Sly? no she was smart but not in that sort of way...quiet? Nah Prim was anything but quiet...Murdering Machine? Pssh ya right, prim could barley force herself to bring home the animals she had been ? hmm, maybe that could work, she was generally very loose with complements...

"I got It!" Haymitch exclaimed excitedly! "You two are going to be my star crossed lovers!"

"Excuse me?"

"my star crossed lovers, you two are the oldest this year and its the quarter quell, the capitol will be looking for an extra bit of spice!"

"what the heck is a star crossed lover?"

"You and Rory are going to be in _loove"_

"have you seen how we fight? it's like watching an old married couple!"

"exactly! all you need to do is take away the old and you'll be a cute married couple. the capitol will suck it up!"

"um.. can I refuse?"

"No." and so it was decided. During her interview prim would be humble and kind but every of ofter she would sneak glances back stage and pretend to laugh flirtatiously at Rory. when they practice it Prim felt like a complete idiot, flirting with the small smiley face Haymitch had drawn on the wall. Heck, she didn't even know how to flirt! She was only thirteen after all, back in district twelve dating didn't start until you began work in the mines. This was way too gross! Even worse she didn't just pretend to have to like Rory, she was going to have to love him! would Haymitch make them kiss? Prim shivered. He better not!

"How on earth did you get Rory to agree to this!?" prim asked.

"I didn't need to." Replied Haymitch "He thought of it." Prim's jaw dropped, why would Rory do something like that? was he... "No it wasn't like that" Haymitch assured her as if reading her mind.

"How did you know?"

"Please, that horrified expression on your face? it matched his perfectly when I asked him if he liked you. apparently his fifth grade teacher told him that you two would make a cute couple"

"Oh yah... he said that to me too..."

"well maybe he was onto something.

* * *

Cesar Flickerman sat in his interviewers chair, waiting for the lights to go up and the cameras to turn on. This was the second time he would be hosting a quarter quell, and lets just say he hoped it went better than last time. Their had been so many tributes, Cesar had been surprised the audience managed to stay awake the entire time, but even worse he was surprised he had been able to keep his face perky and free of tears. It was hard enough on the regular years, getting to know twenty four delightful children, almost all of which he liked, and then having to watch them die! twenty five years ago had been horrible! But this year was going to be even worse! every single one of them not even a teenager yet! he had a seven year old himself back home and just thinking what it would do to him if she died. on live television for that matter! the thought brought a tear to his eye every time.

"Ten seconds" some one shouted. The voice of Claudius Temple-smith boomed over the crowd

"Welcome ladies and gentelman, Capitolites and those in the districts!" lights shows and fire works set the sky ablaze."Get Reeeady for the host of the 75 annual Hunger Games, CESAR FLICKERMAN! The Lights flashed on and Cesar began to smile and wave, and say hello. It took the crowd an enire ten minutes to calm down. but when they finally did Cesar began the interviews.

"and now lets welcome to the stage... the beautiful, the gorgeous Tilly!" Tilly walked on stage in a flowing knee length gold dress and insanely high heels, Cesar was honestly quite impressed at how easily she walked in them. They talked in a friendly manor for a while, exchanged a few jokes and talked about game strategies which entirely consisted of kill in addition to avoid being killed. Most of the career tributes interviews went this way.

The boy from three was smart and funny but whenever he was asked about his personal life the friendly smile melted off the boy's face and said "I don't want to talk about itt." Cesar found it quite annoying but the audience seemed to love it. After him came the district four tributes who were obviously taking on the personality of cute and innocent. Between their mispronunciation of words and their large sea green eyes the two were a hit and completely blew the mediocre performances of the District five through ten tributes out of the water, only once the interviews had reached district eleven did the audience pay attention.

''so Lena, what do you do back home?"

"well" she replied "My family runs the district Bakery. Don't tell my family but I think the bread here is better." The audience laughed and as her time ended they clapped incredibly loudly Joey's Interview wasn't particularly memorable but he managed to get a few laughs out of the crowd which resulted in a rather large applause for him too.

Finally it was time for the District twelve interviews. The audience held their breath. What wonderful outfits could the stylists have dressed the tributes in. But as prim walked out nearly half the audience sighed, sure the dress was beautiful with its sweet heart neck line, fiery skirt and cute little phoenix wings but compared to the other works of art they had seen out of Cinna and Portia this was a bit of a let down. But Cesar pretended not to notice.

"Well Prim aren't you looking simply darling tonight!"

"Why thank you! Cesar! You are looking rather spiffy your self!"

"Well thank you very much. So what has been your favorite thing here in the capitol?"

"Oh my goodness Cesar there are too many amazing things here! the food, The views, The people...my district partner..." The audience gasped and prim covered up her mouth as if she had just let loose some deadly secret.

"Pardon" asked the interviewer smiling mischievously.

Prim continued as if she hadn't heard a thing. "I mean look at my dress!" Cesar laughed along with the rest of the audience.

"Well alright, since you don't want to talk about what you just said, why don't you give us a twirl and show off a bit!"

Prim laughed "sure why not!" she stood up and began to twirl, at first slowly but ten faster and faster, suddenly the dress began to smoke and steam and prim screamed. She obviously had no clue what was going on, her dress seemed to be spewing flames . when the smoke finally cleared Every body watching was at a loss for words, even Cesar. Prism's dress had transformed from pretty to down right Gorgeous it was now one hundred percent flames, in an array of different colors, now not only was there white, green, purple and blue, but also red's oranges yellows and even pinks! The audience Began to scream and cheer so loudly that it was almost impossible to hear the buzzer signaling the end of prims interview. Regardless she waved good bye and took her seat next to the district eleven male.

"Good job" he muttered

"You weren't so bad yourself"

Rory's Interview went bye pretty quickly, he pulled a prank on Cesar (By making a really loud farting noise as the interviewer sat down) which had the audience in tears, before they officially began their interview. They talked about pranks for a while, and rory re lived a few of his best moments as a prankster, before talking about training chatting mostly about his eleven before finally getting into the deep stuff.

"so rory? do you have any one special back home?"

"Well, sure, theirs my mother, my bro..."

"No, no not that. I meen a special friend."

"Well... no not really"

"Oh please some one as handsome as you? I don't believe it for a second!"

Rory sighed, "well there is some one I've had a crush on for as long as I remember, but we tend to fight like cats and dogs"

"I'll tell you what. you go out there and you win this thing then there's no way she'll be able to not love you! am i right folks?!" his question was met with an ear piercing cheer.

"Honestly, I don't think that'll help me all that much"

"Oh and why is that?"

"Well... She came here with me."

Prim squealed so loudly that the cameras zoomed in on her but noticing her actions she hid her face away in her dress. God this was stupid. now the entire capitol would see her as some love crazed weakling. bleh.

" that's unfortunate..." Cesar began "But Regardless we wish you all he best of luck!" Rory nodded, and headed back to his seat where he offered prim a hug. She gladly accepted, which Drove the capitol up the walls."

"I hate you" whispered prim

"I hate you too."

**Finito! hope you liked it! and please! please review! I know your reading since I got 500 views this last chapter. but really? no reviews and only three poll votes? I think you can do a little better than that**

**Up next is a little scene my partner in crime wrote... Enjoy!**

* * *

Rory Pov

at 10:00 i get a a call from Kastridge saying he needs to meet me on the roof with Nate. By 10:30 we where all there.

"Me and nate have decided something Rory" Kastridge say's

"what?"Rory asks.

"we decided to kick prim out of the group" Nate reply's

"WHAT" shouts Rory

"have you seen her training score it was terrible"kastrisge asks

"it was a joke" rory says

"it dosen't matter what the hell it was we are screwed if we let her stay" Nate says

"yeah i agree with nate she got a 1 you got a 11 think about it "kastridge says

"i dont care what she got kastridge"Rory says

"Rory, if you let her in i'm out" kastridge says

"me to" nate says

"fine she is out but" Rory points a finger angrily at his two friends "...but i will not forget this" and walks off


	13. Chapter 12

KASTRIDGE POV  
I sit on the couch with abigale and she looks at me

"umm abigale if i dont live please tell wiress bette ellie that im sorry and i love them all"i say

"alright" replies abigale

"so should we sit in silence" i say dramatically

"no we should talk" abigale counters, I roll my eyes and sit in the comfy arm chair beside the tribute's tube.

"fine"

"tell me about your family" she demands

"no."

"Yes" she responds. I take a deep breath. I can't believe I'm about to do this! I haven't shared my past with any one. not my friends, not my mentors, not even Rory and Nate. yet some how I find my self spilling my guts to this one lady, this one lady who has no idea what a life in the districts is like, this one lady, the only lady, or man for that matter who I trust. I tell her about my abusive dad, my dead mom, my dead sister, and my insane brother. I tell her how there's no one to left for me to go back to if I win these games

"dont act like that kastridge, when you win, you'll have a new life. A better one"

"im sorry umm...tell my brother i love him...even though he doesn't love me"

30...29... 28...

i walk over to my plate, stop and stand in the middle. Abigale looks at me and leans over, kissing me on the check.

"if you dont win, which I doubt. i want you to know i will never forget you. you're the best tribute ever" she says

the glass tube comes down and she looks at me.

"i love you" she says or something like that.

im stunned For a second, and then i see the bright light blinds me. when I open my eyes I see the arena

what the hell is wrong with the game makers?

* * *

SOPHIE P.O.V

i walk in the room and my stylist is sitting there

"took you long enough" he complains

"whatever" I reply grumpily

"just messin' with ya " he says smiling and ruffling my dark brown hair. I don't return the smile. "Do you want to talk?"

'i dont but i dont want to not talk. Either way it is weird" i say

"you're just having jitters" he explains

"Probably because I'll be dead within the next 2 minutes" i retort half heartedly

"don't think like that"

30...29...28...27

he stands me up i look at him

"do me one last favour" i say

"anything" he replys

"push me"I command

"what?" he he asks

20...19...

"push me onto the plate" I repeat  
he shoves me quiet hard onto the plate, i turn around, smiling. I just couldn't bear the thought of walking freely to my death

"thank you" i mouth

he points to his checks and smiles. smile? why would he want me to smile. an act of defiance I figure. I like it. I put on a big smile, as iff telling the capitol I won't be the miserable little cow you want. The plate rises me up a bright light blinds me. I look away and peer into the arena.

holy s***

* * *

Nate

i walk into the launch room. Back in district eight we call it the cattle yard...but I'm not in district eight any more and I'll probably never be again. I see my stylist sitting on a black couch.

"Hey" I say meekly. She jumps up and run towards me, We hug and I'm so happy to be in her embrace that we just stand there for about a minute

"im scared cat" I whisper into her furry coat

"it's going to be alright" she replies

"i know"

"then calm down" she brings me over to the couch, sits me down and runs her hand through my hair. Over and over she tousles my black hair, it's not much, but its the most comforting action some one has made towards me since I came to the capitol.

"so i have a question Nate" Cat begins

"yeah?" I reply "what is it?"

"do you think you will go for the cornucopia" she asks

"yeah. Me, Kastridge and Rory have decided were gonna do it" I answer

"are you sure you should?" she questions, obviously she has watched too many of her tributes die at the cornucopia.

"yeah i trust them"

"alright, do you think you will kill?" she continues

"yeah"

"that was fast" she says, a little bit shocked.

"i'm gonna have to anyway" i say

30...29...28...27...

"Good bye Caty. hopefully see you in a week or two" I step onto the plate and wave, she waves back, both of us refusing to look away until the plate me up and a bright light blinds me. When my vision finally clears I get a good look at the arena.

it is really creepy

* * *

Rory P.O.V

I walk into the launch room and portia is standing there. i know she is nervous, so am I. The stylist runs to me and envelopes me in a gut crushing hug.

"calm down"she says to me "everything is going to be fine, your going to get through this." for some strange reason I believe her.

"i think you need to calm down Portia" i reply with a light laugh.

she lets me go

"whatever" We both begin to laugh, at the not very funny moment when a peace keeper walks in holding a black bag and throws it on the couch and leaves.  
it is a thin black and Blue sweat suit with a pair of blue steel toed boots.

"expect some hot days and nights" Portia says says

30...29...28  
I quickly slip on the suit hug portia one last time and step onto the plate which immediately begins to rise.

"i know you can win" she says, though It comes out as "I snow do poo-poo"

A blinding light fills the tube and suddenly the arena appears.

how the hell did they come up with this?

* * *

I walk into the room labeled district 12 female: Primose Everdean. sitting on the red velvet couch and wait for Cinna. He is late, how unlike him... Loud crying coming from down the hall, it sounds like the boy from nine god he is such a wimp. I look at the ceiling and begin to count the tiles, three hundred and eighty four, I stand up and look in the mirror, just to make sure it is me going into the hunger games, not Katniss. It's me my outfit is delivered, a thin white and pink jump suit with matching pink boots, It's pretty comfortable but doesn't seem like it would protect me much from the elements, though the boots seem good for running. I wonder what I'll be running from.

Finally Cinna walks in.

"sorry. i'm late"he says

"i noticed" i reply, with a wink

he rolls his eyes but smiles and returns the gesture. "I see you're dressed."

"Hey, I had to do something while I was waiting"

"You could have counted the ceiling tiles."

"I did. there are three hundred and eighty four."

"Wrong. there are three hundred eighty five. count again."

"You're annoying, you know that?" I sigh, getting up to hug him. He hugs back.

"Ya, but that's what you love about me." it's true but of coarse I'm not going to tell him that "I think you forgot something."

"What?" My stylist brandishes a small black box and I gasp. "My token!" Cinna smiles and fastens the small primrose pin into my hair. we sit down and wait locked in each others arms.

30...29...28...27

i walk over to the plate and stand on it

"make me proud my phoniex queen" he says. he kisses the top of my head and the glass falls down. I raise my chin after he motions for me to and the plate begins to assend. I am momentarily blinded by a bright light but it disappears as the arena comes into view

all i see is crazyness and madness

* * *

Shock. Pure shock was written on the faces of all twenty four tributes as they survayed their surroundings. Every single one of them had seen something like this only once before in their lives, when they had been forced to view the live broadcast of it's opening on their televisions back home. what was it? Capitol fun land. A giant amusement park, quote, filled with looping roller coasters, action packed water slides, and even rides for the little ones, unquote! well at least that's what it would have been fifty years ago. Now it looked dingy, haunted almost, with cracked streets colored in faded rainbow paint, and crumbling fountains that had obviously once been magnificent. to the left of a cornucopia a ginormous circus tent, to the right a cracking roller coaster track. behind the tributes lay the rest of the park, its kiddy rides, water slides and even a tunnel of love looked extremely intimidating. the cornucopia itself lay in the center of the entrance and seemed to be the only way in or out of the park but based on the 30 foot wall which surrounded the entirety of capitol fun land the tributes guessed that they weren't allowed to leave.

"the f*** is this" kastridge shouted throwing his arms in the air.

"shut up 3 or i'm gonna gut you" Jermey hollered back

"You can try!"

45...44

Kastridge looks at Nate and nods his head

40...39

Nate looks at Rory and nods his head

35...34

Motioning towards Kastridge Jeremy Makes Eye contact with each of the careers, his message is clear "three is mine."

30...29

prim looks at Rory and smiles. She still doesn't know.

25...24

1 and 2 get geared to run and 4 turns around on there plate as to say they have decided not to participate in the blood bath.

20...19

Jermey licks his lips. To just say he is ready to kill would be an understatement.

15...14

both from 9 look like there about to throw up from nervousness

10...9  
nearly everybody gets ready to run, Kastridge however just sits there and smiles at Sophie.

5...4...3...2...1

THE GONG. Prim takes off and runs for the nearest set of throwing knives, she looks up just in time to see an arrow fly through the District 6 girls head, splattering prim with blood. She should run, but after what she just witnessed her legs refuse to work as the rest of the blood bath unfolds in front of her. Kastridge runs iniside the corinicopia and grabs ten spears five for him and five for rory and he sees two twin blades in the back grabbing them for nate he begins to head back he begins to his friends .

"SOPHIE"Prim yells

Kastridge whips his head around and stares at the girl from nine standing above his district partner a bloody axe in his hand. Sophie is surrounded a pool of her own blood. Kastridge lets lose a scream that nobody can muster up and all the fighting stops he grabs a spear and throws it into the boys body. It is a non fatal shot and he knows it. grabbing a machete Kastridge walks towards him. The kid tries to crawl away but with the spear he isn't very successful and soon enough the the boy from eight is dead, a machete sticking out of his skull. Kastridge then pulls the spear out of the boy's arm and attaches the machete to his belt his belt. Tossing the twin swords to Nate and half the spears to Rory before joining them.

The blood bath resumes and Nate starts to fight the girl from seven, he flips her around and slits her neck then he turns around and sees kastridge put a spear through the chest of District sevens male.

district 10 girl knocks the girl from 8 to the ground and cuts off her head with a sword. Nate sees this and lets loose a pained cry but can not leave his Rory Kastridge formation. prim a knife into her neck and nate looks at her gratefully with a tear coming down his cheek

"thank you" Nate mouths.

Prim nodds and then gets up and heads towards the rest of her alliance. Reaching them she attempts to join the triangle of deadliness they have formed but she is stopped dead in her tracks by Rory.

"Buzz off Everdeen" he mutters

"What? Rory this isn't the time for a prank."

"I said LEAVE!" Rory screams, his voice cracking. "before I kill you!" he lifts up his spear and points it at Prim's neck.

She looks fuzzy headed for a moment but then runs away.

kastridge rory and nate run around the cornicopa to see male from six and male ten fighting. Six has a spear and ten has a long sword, both of which the the three boys needed. Kastridge tells Nate to grab as much food, water,and armor as he can and to yell if he needs help.

"hello my freinds" Kastridge says. neither stop.

"i said hello" Six glances at kastridge to long and 10 stabs him in the neck before looking at the two in front of himself nervously

"would have already killed you if we wanted you dead" kastridge assures the boy

"we just want the spear"rory says 10 tosses overthe spear but a second later falls foward with tilly standing over him. Kastridge and rory both raise up spears while nate comes around the corner carrying about 5 bags on his shoulders with a twin sword in his right hand he steps in front of his friends.

"calm down Tilly" rory says, trying to negotiate some peace

" get them!" shouts quick silver and the group of careers attack Nate but everything is bouncing off his bad a** new armor. Tilly turns around to late to see one of nate's bags, which must have been filled with bricks hit her in the face knocking her out cold. The careers back away.

"help me carry this s***" Nate shouts tossing a couple of bags to Rory and Kastridge and the three head into the park.

Let the games Begin


	14. Chapter 13

**Hey! I totally forgot to mention...that last chapter was written by Peacekepper321 so all the credit goes to him! Bravo Peacekepper! But seriously? only one review? (thanks clovely!) I expected more out of my readers! I really want to make this the best story it can be and I can only do that with your help! So please, Please review!**

* * *

What was he doing? this wasn't the time for a prank. They were a team, the star crossed lovers, the capitol had loved them! Prim stared down at the spear pointed at her neck before meeting Rory's eyes.

"I said LEAVE!...before I kill you."

He's was joking right? In a moment her partner would break out into laughter,lower his spear and say that he was kidding. wouldn't he? He didn't and Prim ran. She Ran from Rory, She ran from his betrayal, she ran from his new allies, but most of all she ran from her own stupidity. How could Prim have possibly thought even for a second that she could trust Rory! Of course this had been coming, after all the pranks, lies, deceptions. How could it not. But for a moment had the girl from district twelve truly believed she could trust the boy she had hated all her life, had she truly thought that after everything in the capitol they might have stopped being enemies and started being friends? She did. But not anymore, she new better know, and as she ran into the park Primrose Everdeen swore never to trust Rory again.

an arrow whizzed over Prim's head, she ducked and rolled to dodge, dearlord she'd better start running faster!The Girl who shot the arrow, Samantha chased her for a little while but eventually got tired of her target dodging every single arrow shot at her so she returned to the blood bath giving prim a clear get rouded a corner and continued to run and run, five kilometers, ten Kilometers, prim ran for what seemed like hours but exaustion didn't even register with the girl. All she could think about was getting as far away from the other tributes as possible, maybe even to the other end of the park, but since Prim couldn't even see the other well, despite it being thirty feet tall she figured she wasn't going to accomplish that goal anytime today.

Stopping to catch her breath prim realized that she was thirsty, hungry and tired she was and began to her survey surroundings for a potential resting spot. a few roller coasters, a Ferris wheel, a merry go round, with her bright pink tributes outfit none of them would provide much protection or shelter. It would have been easy enough to camp out on a bench or in some bathroom stall but she didn't think the sponsors would like that very much. Then she saw it, hidden behind the Ferris wheel, a bright pink mansion, it was almost as if the game makers had made it especially for her! she couldn't tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but the thought of camouflage and a shelter was just too good to pass up! as Prim approached it she saw the picture of herself, ten years older, surgically altered and seriously disproportionate painted onto the front of the attraction.

"Barbie's dream house" a sign read "Museum."

Who was Barbie? Prim didn't particularly care, all she cared about was the protection his or her house would offer. The thirteen year old excitedly dashed inside and was immediately taken aback by its grandeur, it nothing compared to the luxury of the training center, but it was definitely the best thing in an arena Prim had ever was pink chandelier hanging from the exceptionally high ceiling and a double stair case. to my left is a kitchen which I run into and discover it is stocked with food. I'm about half way through the fridge when it even occurs to be that this place is booby trapped. I close the fridge and decide to wander around a little bit, check out the place. After ten minutes i'm still alive so I conclude that the dream house is not going to kill me, yet and decide to find a place to sleep. Some how Prim finds the master bed room which holds a pink bed as soft and comfortable as the one back in the capitol. and before she knows it the district twelve tribute is snoring away.

Clang! Crash! Clang!

Prim Bolted up from her deep sleep. what was that?

**Heey so thats the end of my chapter...I know. Insanely short but I promise next one will be longer! Here is what happened withRory on his first day!**

After we leave the cornocopia we run for about 10 minutes before we collide with the people from 5, Rosetta and Charlie. They have nothing. Looking at them I can't help but take pity take pity. They have nothing and we're carrying three heavy packs each of them chalk full of goodies and we attack they would have no chance. Nate almost kills charlie but then as if reading my mind Kastridge lunges out to hold him back

"they have nothing it. would be like murder" Kastridge whispers into Nate's ear

Kastridge pulls out a knife and tosses it to Rosetta then takes his Machete and gives it to charlie.

"now run and since i gave you that stuff i need you to do me a favor" Kastridge says

"what?" Replies Charlie

"go that way" I inturrupt pointing in the direction prim ran "and find that girl from 12, Prim, that is her name. Find her and tell her that we're sorry. she'll know what I'm talking about"

"now run before we change our mind" Nate finishes irritably and the two from five immediate take off, running in the direction I had motioned earlier.

"lets get going" Kastridge says, re-shouldering his Pack and jogging away. Nate and I do the same and together the four of us head towards a building that has large coils coming out of it, almost like its a broken robot. we walk inside and look around deciding it's a good place to camp for the night.

"lay out all the bags and we will se what we got" Kastridge commands, we throw our packs onto the ground and start to go through them. pulling out a short sword I toss it to Nate

"best suits you best" I tell him he doesn't object, and places the sword on his belt, next to his other one. After that he open his pack. Inside is armor, food and water.

"awesome i'm always the luckiest" he says. with a grin

"You already have armor dumb a**, hand it over!" Retorts Kastridge with a similar smile

"Whatever..." replies Nate chucking the armor at Kastridges face

"Ow! that hurt!"

"aw, you poor little baby! would you like mama Nate to kiss your boo-boo better?"

"Oh shut up!"

BOOM...BOOM...BOOM...BOOM...BOOM...BOOM...BOOM...BOOM...BOOM...BOOM...BOOM...BOOM

12 dead tributes I count. I wonder who they are, what Kind of lives they lived, which people will miss them. We all look at each other, nervously. How much longer until those cannons will be for us? going through all the packs takes all afternoon but when you're with the guy's time fly's. we find we have enough stuff to last us two weeks them and then some. We all have armor and at least 5 weapons and food and water. after we just chill out, enjoying the short amount of time two, if not all of us have left. we tell each other about our lives, what the other districts are like and who we think is hot.

Eventually the anthem starts to play and i walk up to a window and lift it open to watch the list of "the fallen". The first to pop up is Sophie and i look over at Kastridge and see a tear come down his face. Then the guy and girl from six and seven, Nate's district partner, both from nine then the same for and ten then, the sky goes blank. I slide to the floor in relief, Prim is alive. but for how much longer? I offer to take first watch but Kastridge says he and with one look at his eyes I know why, the guy needs time to mourn. I nod and the thanks in his eyes becomes imminent. The poor guy tries to light a torch but Nate grabs it and throws it out the still open window.

"The, careers are still after us ya know"

he grabs a pair of funny looking sun glasses and tosses them to kastridge telling him to use those takes them and slides them on before climbing into the raftors of the building. Nate and I each pick up a sleeping bag and settle in. Some how, even with the worry and paranoia of what will happen when I sleep I do. way to easily.

Suddenly some one is shaking me A sleeping boy like me needs his beauty sleep! can't the matter wait till morning? Apparently not because the shaking only becomes more violent and panicked. swatting them away I tell them to leave

"Rory! wake up! its a trap!"

* * *

I've been sitting here watching the blood bath for nearly two hours and honestly, it's getting a bit old. Of course I haven't revealed that to the cameras though fr oall the viewers back home know I'm still exited and raring to go! the only fight left is between the boys from ten and six which has lasted over thirty minuets. there both carrying deadly weapons for goodness sake how is it possible that one of them hasn't managed to win?

"OMG!" Squeels the new intern, Tom "close up on twelve! 12. now." sure the game makers get to decide what to throw at the tributes but I get to decide who sees what! I must admit it is pretty cool.

"why?"I ask before glancing over to the cameras which are supposed to be covering their every move. The girl has a spear pointed towards her neck. normally I wouldn't pe shocked by this image as death threats are common in the games. but I gasp dramatically for the camera and press the button that will zoom the screen in on cameras twenty three and twenty four.

"oh no what is he doing" I ask Claudius Temple smith.

"Shh... listen, listen! what's that he's saying?"

"buzz of Everdeen" Rory mutters tears in his eyes. She runs and I can hear a gasp all acrose the capitol. Three, eight and twelve run around the cornucopia and finally stop the fight between the two from ten and six. The four of them chat for a little while, which is extremely odd considering this is the blood bath before the boy from ten collapses to the ground. the girl from one has a dagger in her right hand is standing above ten, who is lying dead.

"Call it" I whisper to Claudius

"And there goes the boy from ten." He says

then three and twelve both raise up spears and the cameras cut to eight who is hulling the best packs we put in the arena, grabbing any good stuff they see along the way, and there's a lot of good stuff. he turns the corner to see female one and hits her in the face with his backpack turning her neck a weird way which i'm pretty sure means death.

"call it" I say

"she is alive, look" Her heartbeat monitor is still going. Slow, but going. after that the boy's new pack bolt and as the careers finish off the last remaining tributes, they begin to make camp. we quickly show the other tributes who are still alive, on the run. most of them appear to be exhausted and dehydrated, but not in danger of death so we revert back to the careers camp. where they are simply setting up, taking rations and pitching a couple of tents.

"what are all tributes up to" i ask after thirty minutes or so of watching this.

"Running, nothing important...well, the two from five... Rosetta and charlie? just ran into that three eight and twelve alliance"

"play it" I command, this could be interesting. it comes onto screen I don't think i have ever seen something like that done before with people who were not in an alliance. three held eight back from killing the two. Not very normal but doesn't matter, its a plot twist! the Capitolites will love it!

"what is he doing" Claudius asks the camera.

"I think he is giving another tribute a weapon" I reply.

"no way not possible probably gonna kill them himself" he reply's but i'm right. The kid takes the machate he used to kill the boy from nine and gives to the pale orange haired boy infront of himbefore handing a knife to the girl.

"go that way and find a girl name prim from 12 tell her that we are sorry" twelve says

"now run" eight says. they take off and the cameras follow them for a while before cutting back to me and Temple smith.

"alright, folks so here death tolls and kill counts for today" I say**(feel free to skip this part as I did not edit it and there is another, better version in the review's section)** "girl from 3 killed by district 9, both from 6 killers 2 and 10both from 7 killers 3 and 8girl from 8 killer 10both from 9 killers 2 and 3both from 10 killers 12 and 1 kill counts  
1:female killed 1 tribute1:male killed 02 male 1 tribute 2 female1 tribute 3 male 2 tribute3 female 0 (decased)4 ran 5 same as last 6 (desaced both) 0 kills7 (decased both) 0 kills 8 male 1 tribute 8 dead female 0 kills 9(decased) male 1 tribute female 0 tributes 10 dead male 1 tributefemale 1 tribute 11 ran away 12 female 1 tribute  
12 male 0 tributes"

"wow, district three ties the with the careers for kills. I'll bet that blew away the betting board" Claudius comments.

"yep already getting very angry messages about it" I answer, checking my phone

wow, this hunger games is gonna be a douse-y

** I know this chapter was super short but I promise they will get longer! Please Review and fill in the poll! I mean seriously It'll only take like two minute and It would really make my day fantastic!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Heey everyone! Thx a bunch to every one who reviewed! (one person...) Hope you enjoy the chapter! This one is written by both Peacekepper321 and I thefirst bit told from prims pov in third person, and the second bit from Rory's in first person**

"Charlie!" a voice screamed from down the stairs. Prim;s eyes shot open and she jumped out of bed before dashing into the closet. The thing was huge! at least twice the size of barbies bed room! Even better than that it was filled to the brim with clothes! Princess gowns, cow boy hats, even a super spy outfit, prim changed into that. It came equip with a laser beam, night vision glasses, and a pouch for her knives! this was so cool!

Clash! bang! Boom!

Prim squealed and ran further into the depths of the closet. what was that? a mutt? no, it couldn't be a mutt... those things never had names. a recording? it could be that. One year, when the career pack had been particularly cruel and viscous, the game makers had played a recording of them, hoping to scare one of the tributes. They had scared her all right, enough so that she committed suicide to getaway from what the careers might do to her. But that wouldn't happen. not yet at least there was still too much opportunity for the tributes to kill each other!

Crash! Clash!

It definitely was not a mutt, never had one been such a klutz!

"Charlie!" the same young voice screeched "were going to get caught!"

"Rosetta, stop freaking out. there are at least a billion other rides in this park, and this one is bright pink, no one else would be stupid enough to actually come in here! it attracts too much attention!" Prim went about as pink as the rest of the mansion she hadn't even thought about all the attention this huge museum would attract. she was probably lucky to still be alive. but oh well half the people who won the hunger games did it out of sheer luck.

"But we have to find prim! Rory told us to!" wait Rory? who were these people, and why were they talking to Rory?what was going on?

"Please there's no way were going to find prim, at least not tonight, and besides do you really think he would accept her apology?"

"What apology?" prim announced, curiosity had gotten the best of her so she had made her way out of the closet and tho the top of the spiral staircase. Below, the district five tributes she found herself looking at tensed up and raised their weapons. "Relax. I'm not going to kill you, at least I don't want to." and Prim meant it, she had already killed one person today, murdering two more was out of the question. Besides the three of them had gotten along pretty well in training, none of them wanted the others dead. Charlie evidently didn't believe her as he didn't even flinch, Rosetta, on the other hand dropped her weapon and smiled.

"He wanted to say that he was sorry!" Rosetta replied happily, dragging Charlie up the stairs. "and that he really hopes that you'll stay safe!"

"Really?" Prim asked

"well... I might have added the last part but...I'm sure he was thinking it!"

"Oh." of course Rory hadn't said the last part, in a matter of weeks he would be trying to kill her. assuming they wouldn't already be dead. "Well thanks for dropping by" Prim said awkwardly, "but I think maybe it would be best if we make it a one time thing." Prim really liked the two from five, which was why she couldn't let them stay, if one of them died at her hand she would never forgive her self.

charlie nodded stiffly and then began to usher Rosetta out the door, unfortunately for him the seven year old didn't want to go, and because of her mad wrestling skills he had to oblige.

"Why do you want us to go?" she asked, sadness blooming in her eyes "Don't you want to be an alliance?" Prim immediately felt horrible, she couldn't just kick her out. walking down the stairs she knelt down to Rosetta and pulled her tightly into a hug.

"Oh sweetie. Of course I want you in an alliance! But you two are so much stronger than me! I think I would just slow the group down, and If one of you died because of that I just could not live with myself!" Rosetta nooded and headed back down to charlie, shewas so kind and sweet and Charlie was just about the bravest soul Prim had ever had the honor of meeting. But, the hard truth was that if she wanted to get home alive those two would have to die and Prim just couldn't bear the thought of watching it. The two separated an Prim patted Rosetta on the back, and gave charlie a hand shake

"You're a great guy."Prim whispered in his ear. "Stay safe." the faintest glimpse of a smile played on Charlies lips as he picked up Rosetta's hand and lead the now willing girl out the door.

Prim sighed and headed back up to bed when it occurred to her that she hadn't checked through the contents of the small pack she had retrieved from the cornucopia. So instead of falling back asleep she retrieved the knapsack and sat down on the couch in the living room to examine its contents. a small coil of wire, about 2 dozen crackers, a sun cap, two dozen gold tokens? and an empty water bottle. prim had to admit, the pack was pathetic, but she had managed to get her knife belt, not to mention she was in Barbies mansion, for the next thirty minutes or so she scavenged the house filling her bag to the brim with food, clothes, and water.

Finally finishing prim fell back into barbies pink bed and was about to fall asleep when an ear piercing scream filled the entire amusement park. The scream was that of the seven year old Rosetta's. For the second time that night prim shot out of bed, but this time she did not run into the closet. She should have felt no obligation to go after Rosetta and Charlie, after all they were not in an alliance. Boom! went the cannon and prim made to rush out the door but just then a silver Parachute floated down and landed in Prim's hand, screwing off the lid Prim saw that It held a pair of eye covers, the kind Effie wore while sleeping and a note.

Good night, little Phoenix.

-H

Obviously Haymitch wanted prim to go back to sleep. so obviously she ignored the note, slipped the eye covers in her bag and dashed out the door. She ran and ran, the scream only sounded like it was a little while away but where was Rosetta? then she saw it, the hover craft, only thirty feet away! prim turned the cornerand saw it. charlies bloody mangled body, the blood covered spikes which had snapped evidentally crushed him and the blood covered seven year old wailing loudly clutching Charlie.

"Charlie! no, no Charlie!" she moaned hugging his literally holey body. Her eyes were wide in fear, sadness, and maybe even a little bit of insanity.

The claw began to reach down, attached to it a doctor dressed in white, holding a syringe in his hand. He was going to knock her out! Prim couldn't let that happen. The careers would find her! no doubt they were on their way. Sprinting out of her hiding spot in the shadows, Prim scooped up little Rosetta and ran into the depths of the amusement park.

Like it or not Primrose Everdeen had a new ally.

* * *

Rory Pov

apparently the coils we saw earlier weren't just coils because they just came to life are electricty every where. I look at nate who grabs all of his stuff and jumps out the window. grabbing all my stuff I turn around to see kastridge get shot and blown through the window. I decide to grab his stuff too and jump out the window

BOOM! The building we were just in explodes and i barley make it out un scathed. Unfortunatly for Kastridge, he did not. His limp body is lying thirty yards away burnt and lifeless

please dont be dead please dont be dead.

"kastridge!" i shout "come on stupid! get up!" nate comes to my side and slaps Kastridge in the face.

"dude, quit messing with him" he says with a smirk " can tell what it looks like when someone is really out and you my friend are not." Kastridges face breaks into a pain filled smile and he opens one eye.

"i just had a dream that you insulted me"

"never. you're crazy" I reply

"I can't walk, just to let you now" Kastridge continues

"that's fine Nate grab one side of him" I say picking up my crispy comrades arms. We pick up kastridge and hull him along until we find a park bench.

"dam this hurts" he says as we lay him down

""Do you know what hurts more? my muscles, I know your a tooth pick and all but you sure are heavy." I retort. he doesn't reply so we just sit in silence catching our breath.

"Is prim ok?" I wonder. I can't believe I had to leave her! If she dies because I can't protect her I'm never going to forgive my self! but how can I protect her? knowing prim she's probably all the way on the other side of the park by now. How can I help her? How the hell can I help her?! then it hits me. I've got to play star crossed lovers. make her look desirable. I've got to get her some sponsors!

"guys?" Kastridge says startling me from my brilliant plan "um i need you to do something for me."

"if it involves a cannon i'm saying no" i reply

"never i need you to get my armor off of me" he chuckles. taking one look at him and his burnt body I know it is going to hurt.

"fine but you need to know it is going to hurt" Nate tells him

"thanks for that" lifting up his arms Kastridge winces horribly but he closes his eyes and says "do it"

"hold him down" I command Nate. He does. grabbing the bottom of Kastridges armor I yank it up.

"SON OF A B***" he shouts. Nate clamps his hand over Kastridge's mouth

"shut up" i say " Do you want the careers to find us? I pull of his shirt and see raw flesh.

"gross" nate gripes. I stand up and dig into my back pack before pulling out some bandages and wrapping it around my patients chest. After about ten minutes he is able to walk not run, but walk so we take itslowand meander our way through the park. It's pitch black outside but the flickering street lamps light our way, man this place looks creepy, it's almost like some psychopath clown might jump out and to kill you at any moment. Based on the "Smiley the clown" posters every where I wouldn't be surprised if one did. Suddenly we hear a boob and a hover craft appears out of no where. It's claw reaches down and picks up a bloody mangled body before disappearing again

"gross who was that" i wonder aloud

"CHARLIE" someone screams

"looks like the five guy is out" Nate supply's

"we gotta go" Kastridge mutters. He pulls out a spear and starts to go. How he managed to run that fast when two seconds ago he could barley walk? It is beyond me but he will definitely be sore in the morning.

"wait." Nate says "why now?"  
"because someone just died, who do you think will be on their way over?" Kastridge retorts, then takes off again. Nate and I shrug before following him.

"it was this way i know it was" a voice whispers loudly. That's Samantha's voice. Grabbing Kastridge and Nate's heads I force them down

"what are you?" Nate begins, looking to his left his eyes quickly widen and he ducks down "everybody shut up"

Jeremy and Quicksilver run past

"we should kill them" Kastridge immediately says.

"no i'm not gonna go and kill myself just because you have some beef with the careers "Reply's Nate grumpily.

"whatever" Kastridge answers while the rest of the Careers run past, armed to the teeth.

"besides" i supply "we couldn't take them. Not like this" after about five minutes we figure it is safe to sneak away so we tip toe off and eventually we turn around a corner to find a big, glowing, pink building.

"barbies mansion, museum" i read "Who the heck is barbie?"

"Dude,I have got absolutely no clue, but who cares we are sleeping in some beds tonight!" Nate declares exitedly, cracking his back to show that last nights sleep was not very comfortable. We walk inside and of course Kastridge walks up to the fridge and opens it up. The smell of food hits me Kastridge reaches inside and i hear a weird clicking noise.

"ITS A TRAP" I yell and tackle him to the floor

"thanks man I owe you one" Kastridge sighs with relief, but looking over my shoulder he cracks up "Or at least i would if the thing actually was a trap" He points to the fridge which is completely flame, spike ball, and sword free.

"Oh shut up. I still saved your butt from that lightening bolt" I say

"oh yeah" he says

for the rest of the day we wander around the mansion which we discover is completely trap free. some rooms appear to have been home to someone yesterday but it seems they have cleared out by now. finally in the late evening, after a day of stuffing our selves and touring the endless amount of rooms in the mansion we find, oddly the only bed room. The matress which was obviously mad of memory foam, some miraculously comfortable matt some hunger games victor had invented, was clearly imprinted with a farmiliar slender shape. Prim.

"prim was here" I announce

"are u sure"nate questions, he obvously doesn't belive me.  
"positive." I reply walking over to the small pink track suit on th carpet floor and pointing to it. "and she can't have gotten too far in just a couple oh hours! Especially if she had taken rosetta along, which sounded like a very prim thing to do. This is my chance to find her! To apolojize for what he had done earlier! To get his hunting partner back! I start to run out the room but kastridge holds me back.

"rory wait it would be a waste of time. She wouldnt want us, also i need to tell you something. You cant get mad, alright?" kastridge says. I stare at him silently.

"when you pulled me down under the bench... I saw prim rosetta charlie running"

"why didn't you tell me?! We could have her back by now! Why did you even kick her out of the group in the first place? You know , she is better than both of you combine! She's better, nicer, kinder and...and..." this is my chance i need to do this, to say it. Come on Rory just spit it out, it doesn't matter if it's a lie, it's could save her! "and i love her!" now normally I don't cry but just the thought of my partner in crime, my arch nemesis...my best friend dieing i just couldn't handle it. Soon enought big fat tears are rolling down my face.

"calm down"nate whispers slapping my back "ittle be fine..."

"im sorry" kastridge says "i didn't know you loved her."

"how could you not know? I announced it infront of panam."

"i guess i just thought it was an angle, you know for the cameras" kastridge was right, it was. But he couldn't let panam know that.

"well it wasn't"

"lets just go to sleep" nate says trying to break the awkward silence in the room "i'll take first watch but, kastridge, I need the night vision glasses"

"yeah" reaching into his pack, kastridge pulls them out and tosses them to Nate. After that he pulls out his sleeping bag, walks to the one side of the room and sits down. I take the other one and walk to the other side of the room. Eventually the anthem starts to play and the face of the boy from five appears in the sky.

"hey kastridge why did you give them those weapons we could have used the" Nate asks

"It's kind of a long story."

"This is gonna be a long night"

"alright... well...in the 62nd hunger games one of my sisters was in a final fight with Enobaria and she was so close to winning. But all she had was a dagger and enobaria had a sword. Well she lost her weapons, both of them did. I know now from watching it earlier that if she would have had another weapon, she would have won and i just wanted to give them something to show they had at least a chance. but it doesn't matter any more because he is dead and I know she'll soon follow, so leave it alone okay."

after that he falls asleep and i soon follow. At i have no idea what time it is i take watch and at the crack of dawn i wake them both up.

"I'm starving, lets go hunting"

**Hope you enjoyed! sorry I haven't posted in a while but I am really busy! nextweek my basketball team has Districts so wish me luck. I might post another chapter today since I'm feeling really Write-y so keep an eye out for it!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Heey :) thanks a bunch to those who reviewed! and just to let you know the Poll is still up and open on my account page and needs a lot more votes! like seriously...I only have seven... one of which was by me...**

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**Enjoy!**

* * *

Day two. Prim's POV (sort of)

"PRIM!" two young voices screamed happily. Prim opened her eyes, tired. after what had happened last night, with charlie and the spikes. Prim had not stopped running until day break and by then she had been too tired to seek out a proper hiding space for her and Rosetta. it was a miracle they were still alive. As Prim's vision cleared she recognized the familiar faces looming over her. Arista and Danny!

Thank god it was these two to found them, had it been anybody else Prim and her strawberry blond little friend would have been dead meat. She had kind of hoped not to bump in to the seven year old's from four though, because she knew that she had agreed to be in an alliance with them before going on stage for the interviews. Prim really didn't want to have to take care of yet another child, no matter how cute, adorable and kind they were. This was the hunger games for crying out loud not Prim's day care. Don't get her wrong prim loved kids she just didn't want top be the one who would have to kill them. But seeing how the whole charlie fiasco worked out it seemed, to prim like it would be best to stick with them for aslong as possible. Besides they were great kids!

"Hey Guy's" prim muttered sleepily. "how have you been?"

"Good!" Arista and Danny exclaimed in sinc. wow, these guy's were about as a like as non-twins could get. "How have you been?"

"Fantastic!" replied prim all too excitedly. She couldn't tell children as young and innocent as these two what had happened."So where have you been?"

Arista Replied by by motioning for prim and Rosetta to follow her. They did, and the and the four of them walked for a little while until they came upon an old rusting candy store. the two entered and sat down on a couple of rags that had obviously been found in a dumpster some where. compared to the barbie mansion this was a shack. Honestly prim felt kind of bad.

"Wow" squealed Rosetta in delight. For the first time since Charlie's death, the girl cracked a smile. "Look at all the candy!" She was right the shelves were loaded with sweet treats of all different shapes and sizes, Lolly pops bigger than your face, big bubble chewing gum, even something called Bertie bott's every flavor beans. uppon looking closer prim saw the label and cringed.

"flavors include strawberry, grape, tripe, and ear wax." It read "made 2003." eww! this stuff was over a millennium old! not to mention it came in the flavor ear wax!Evidently though, Danny and Rosetta hadn't read the labels as they were happily munching on some chocolates in a way which displayed they had been doing so for the past day, at least. Rosetta immediately followed in suit, picking up a hand full of some brown colored candies called "Tootsie Rolls" and chowing down. It hit prim,The girl must be starving, unlike her, she hadn't been able to empty out the contents of the fridge at the mansion last night.

"Hey. what do you guys say we go find some real food?" asked prim trying to sound up beat, the smell of all this chemical sweetness was starting to make her feel sick. the three seven tear old's looked up, hunger in there eyes. sure candy was fantastic but even those little jumping jelly beans could only live of the stuff for so long.

"Where would we get it from?" asked Danny curiously.

"Not too sure but, but there have to be at least a couple of animals for us to hunt around here" prim responded

"I don't know..." Rosetta muttered nervously, her eyes growing wide. She was obviously scared about the spikes that had swallowed up charlie.

"Don't worry Rosetta, It's gonna be fine! I'll protect you!" piped in Arista courageously. she took, out a straw and a couple of the little spit darts she had and showed them to her distressed ally. seeing her confident face, Rosetta smiled and nodded.

So they set out. Prim taught the kids how to make a few of the basic snares Gale had taught her back in the forest. which surprisingly Rosetta and Danny already knew they told prim it was because they had learned the knots back home while they were helping out with their parents work. this surprised prim, back in twelve kids weren't even allowed to step foot in the mines until they were eighteen. well, except for the annual trim down to the mines, but this year would have been prim's first visit, had she not been in the hunger games.

After that the three got to talking about their families and their lives back home. As it turned Arista was an only child with an not so nice father, Danny a happy over accomplished school boy and Rosetta a town sweetheart. Through out the rest of the afternoon they continued setting traps and looking for a water source, with very little success. None of their snares caught any thing while their surroundings were hot dry and completely devoid of any drinkable liquids. a couple of times the four of them even considered going back to the barbie house to stock upbut they decided against it as not to drive Rosetta into Hysteria.

Instead they continued to wander around like over exposed morons until finally they discovered a lone hot dog stand attached to the end wall of the amusement park. It looked disturbingly suspicious, however seeing as none of the other foods within the park had been poisonous thus far they decided it was a good place to stop for an early dinner. Using all her might, as well as that of Rosetta, Danny, and Arista they wrenched the door out of its rusted place and stepped inside. However bad the out side had looked the inside smelled ten times worse, however because the four children had grown up in the districts surrounded by the smells of coal,fish and industrialization they did not notice and proceed to open the freezer. what they expected to see were frozen hot dogs, and if they were lucky a couple of buns.

What they got?

A multitude of hungry looking, beady eyed rats spilling out of the Giant storage container by the dozens. There fur was matted in hot dog bits and the flesh of other victims they had no doubt devoured.

"RUN! RUN! RUN!" Prim commanded pushing the her young allies though the door before bolting through it herself. the four of them ran like their lives depended on it (which they did) and in a moment of panic prim picked up her shoe and tossed it at the rats. a moment later it shot back at her, well at least the sole did, the rest of the shoe had been eaten by the hungry rats. a few times they spotted a couple of trees worth climbing but immediately thought better of it as a rat chomped its way through the thickest part of the trunk in about two seconds flat. So instead they settled for running, and running and running... wow they were certainly doing a lot of that today. but then again what could be expected? it was the hunger games.

as time passed the tributes grew tired and their pace began to slow unfortunately, however, the rats did not seem to know what tiredness just kept running, devouring, and running some more.

"Haymitch I could really use some help about now!" Prim screamed to the sky. It probably wasn't the smartest thing to do but prim would welcome any others who could fight the horde of rats chasing her, even if they would kill her after. no one came and nothing came. of course nothing came, because Haymitch had to spend all her sponsor money on some stupid eye covers which no one would ever use.

"Do you think Rats can swim!?" Arista called over her shoulder

"Of course they can't silly!" Replied Danny with a giggle "why do you think they are always infesting our boats?"

"Oh ya...well look over there! there's a lot of water!" and there was, gallons and gallons of the stuff "Splash mountain" read a giant glowing sign.

"Great job Arista!" prim said in a rather school teacher-ish voice. "get over there guys!" and they did quick as lightning, but so did the rats, in fact by the time they made the final jump onto the small boats which would provide some safety the rodents were nipping at their heels, as in the heals of their shoes were actually in shreds. But some how they made it. and Danny was right, rats couldn't swim because immediately they braked and spin off in the other direction, looking for their next meal.

no matter how starving thirsty or hungry any of them were none of four dared leave the boats, not with those rats on the loose! but by the time the sky grew dark all stomachs were growling, all the now shoe less feet were cold and though no body said anything all children were miserable. They missed their families, they missed their friends, they just wanted to go home.

Just then four beeping silver parachutes dropped from the sky. Each carrying a slightly bulky package.

"Rosetta, this one is for you" Prim said catching the first one and tossing it to her.

"and this ones for you Danny" she replied tossing him his package. The boy smiled and caught it before handing the package he had caught to Arista who in turn passed one labeled "prim" to it's recipient.

"O.k open on three" continued prim "One, two, three" the opening of brown paper packages could be heard followed by a collective, thankful sigh.

"I got a package of crackers and jerky" announced Rosetta

"some cups" Danny followed

"and I got something called ee-oh-deen? wait, no Iodine?"

"and I got a blanket" finished prim, though that's not all she got, she had also received a note from Haymitch saying "put on the freaking eye covers" not very nice If you asked her, but he was a mentor. after the gift's the night became far more enjoyable as the group feasted on crackers, jerky and purified ride water, before snuggling together under the large warm blanket Haymitch had provided.

Maybe this alliance wasn't such a bad thing after all.

* * *

we're ready to go within about 30 minutes of waking up and about to head out the door when Kastridge notices something at the side of the room. a closet door. how I didn't notice it the night before when prim's jump suit had been two inches from the door, I had no clue but there it was.

Nate pulls out his double blade and swipes the door in half. Immediately he dives to the side, obviously dodging any traps but when nothing happens he walks in.

"We don't have time for this!" I complain loudly. we have to go find Prim!"

"no. we need to search the room to find something to change into. Look at me i have a big gaping hole in my chest. i'm going in" Kastridge Reply's walking in bringing me with. in there we start going through everything, most of it for girl's but we managed to find some guy stuff too. Kastridge immediately seizes a rack of clothing and says it is his turn first to try stuff on. After about 10 minutes he comes out and the first thing I see is a guy in white mask with a black beads and goatee.

"sweet" i say, impressed. Goatees are totally cool

"and check this this out" Kastridge responds

he holds out his hand and flicks his wrist. A blade pops out. Then he holds out his hand and a 4 inch long rod slides out before hitting a button and it extending it to about the size of a spear. To top it all off blades pop out of each side.

"Damn dude...my turn" Nate says and runs in before I can. He comes out in a blood red ninja outfit with the katana, shurikins and armor Ihad seen in a movie on the train

"cool" Kastridge remarks, leaning back and crossing his arms.

"thanks man" Nate Replys

"my turn" i say and rush in. The room is a mess. stuff thrown every where!

"come on guys serouisly" I say loudly enough for them to hear me.

"your fault for being last" i hear nate retort, laughing

"shut up nate" i reply

"shut up your self. Just change already."

i start searching for clothes and i takes me forever. But then i see a black breif case. looking inside i see an awesome outfit. A black suit with the picture of a bat on the chest, it has long black gloves and boots which are totally comfortable but hard as rock when touched from the out side. after dressing up I walk out of the dressing room smugly

"cool outfit" kastridge says"though I think the mask Is abit over kill"

"same over here" nate says

"Hey, If you guys get masks then I get a mask"

after we're done we search the house for anything that could be useful, which, when your in a giant pink mansion isn't much. I walk out into the main foyer and immediatly jump back behind a fluffy lavander couch. sombody's here.

"Tilly comeback no one is stupid enough to go in there" I hear Jeremy say

"shut up i'm going in"

"rory what are you doing" i hear nate shout from some where in the mansion

"shut up" i whisper from my hiding place clenching my fists. dear lord he just gave away our location.

"i hear somebody" tilly laughs with glee "come out and play" well there's no point in hiding any more, they would have found me sooner or later

"there you are all alone are you" Tilly smiles

"get away" I reply, lifting up the spear that, thank god, I was smart enough to bring with me "I will kill you"

"will you Rory? hmm... 2 to 1... doesn't look good " Jermey says stepping up to Tilly's side, and in the blink of an eye there on me. Tilly throws a punch, but I've been in too many school yard fights to not be able to block it. I do and with my other hand I thrust my spear out grazing Jeremy's forehead. He howl's in pain before Tilly tackles me to the ground.

"Oh your going to pay for that" she whispers into my ear and picks up her knife, running it along my cheek. the cut's deep, reaching my bone, but it's nor one of those injuries that is quick and painless, no Tilly is drawing this out, getting enjoyment from my agonized screams. I react by instinct, lifting up my spear and plunging it in to her chest, she doesn't even have time to yelp.

BOOM

she falls over dead and I pull the spear of her body splashing blood all over her golden blond locks and green eyes. Before I know it Kastridge and ate are on the scene both trys to get jermey. Suddenly an arrow is fired at kastridge's heart but it just bounces off because of his armour.

i see Samantha outside the window i immediately Know quicksilver is not here. someone has to watch the cornucopia.

"lets go" i shout. we barrel straght through Jeremy, which hewas obvoiouslynot expecting and run for what feels like thirty minutes. Samantha chases us for nearly tat long before giving up and heading back in the direction she came. We walk for a little while longer until we see a giant ride that has something on the front of it.

"Mighty Morphin power rangers ride" Nate reads out I see Kastridge go inside.

"my dad helped on this show when I was younger. they were going from district to district looking for people my dad played the green ranger's stunt double lets go...before he went mad" Kastridge says

we walk inside and go throught the tracks. I see a house; we go inside and sit down. there is no roof but I don't care. We all lay down and Kastridge takes off his bloodied mask.

"hey guys I have a question" he says

"sup" Nate reply's

"how come i'm the only one who gets hurt" he says

"what are you talking about" I say pointing to the gash on my cheek, It really hurts,but I'm not admitting that.

he slumps over, revealing arrow head sticking out of a chink in his armor

"kastridge no" i say

"just rip it out i'm not dying...well hopefully there is no poison" he reply's. nate grabes the the arrow and rips it out. Blood spurts every where.

"bloody hell just put a bandage on it" Kastridge Commands. we ignore him and wait, searching for for poison. Nothing. while bandaging him up the anthem begins.

THE FALLEN  
district 1  
a picture of Tilly comes up

"career pack is gonna disband soon three left" I say. we let that sink in "wow and only on day two..."

"hey Rory guess what" Nate asks  
"what" I reply

"You've got a kill, congrats... I suppose"

"Ya. but Kastridge is still leading the board."

"i know two. But one was for revenge. if not that, he probably wouldn't be dead" he says

" two out of the three of us district partner is dead" Nate continues  
Kastridge turns around and sobs. I walk over and i make a split second decision. I wrap my arms around Kastridge, this may look gay but i don't care he needs comforting. He is one of my friends. I don't care if he has to die. soon Nate joins us, tears in his eyes and we bro hug it out. Kastridge puts his head on my shoulder and starts crying. I pat his back and put my hand through his hair after about ten minutes he falls asleep.

I lay him down and he cuddles with his blanket.

"Nate, get some sleep"

"all right"he says

god I'm so tired.

CRACK

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**Thanks for reading! My next chapter will be up by next week end... though you can make it happen faster with your reviews! Opinions, Advice...Insults. Everything is welcome! oh and remember to fill in the poll!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey Le Procrastinator #1 here! It's great to see new readers! welcome to the story! Hope you enjoy this new chapter! Please remember to review, follow/faveriote, and fill out the poll (seriously, the pole is coming down next chapter co you'd better vote!)**

**Prim Pov **

**Day three**

Prim awoke to a putrid odor filling her nostrils. The sun was just peaking over the horizon and a morning layer of frost covered a park. It's a good thing Haymitch had delivered that blanked last night. Not only did it keep out the cold, but also proved a very good method of protection against the green air around her. Apparently, however, not good enough for the younger members aboard the small raft on splash mountain, which had acted as last nights shelter. The moment Arista opened her eyes she was on the side of the boat, donating the contents of last nights meal to the river below. At least Prim thought it was a river. When she went over to comfort, Arista who was still hurling her guts out she noticed something. The river was Black. almost a tar like substance, and if prim was correct, tar was like quick sand, which was like black hole and anything that went in a black hole never came out.

Not alive at least.

Prim wondered, did Rory have to deal with this many horrible traps. What with the spikes, mutant Rodents, and now this? what ever it was. Prim highly doubted it. Where was the trouble maker any way? was he even still alive? every night, Prim had fallen asleep before the images in the sky, and not knowing was beginning to kill her. Might she even miss him? with his pranks, his ash hair, and grey seam eyes? his well muscled arms? his adorable laugh? NO! prim most definitly did not! how could such thoughts even be entering her mind! especially right now! Now of all times! she was surrounded in this black tar which was slowly eating up her raft. damn that Rory! no doubt he had something to do with this!

Prim rushed to wake her allies, Arista who, evidentially was already up, momentarily stopped revisiting her dinner and woke up Rosetta while Prim awoke Danny.

"Hey Bud, wake up! we gotta go!"

Danny flipped over and grumbled in his sleep. Unsatisfied with this response, prim turned to Arista who had already woken up Rosetta and motioning them towards her, told them to wake up Danny while she packed up their belongings. Wicked smiles immediately fixed themselves on both Rosetta's and Arista's faces, the two turned to each other and began to whisper excitedly. Not paying attention to this Prim picked up the pack she had retrieved from the cornucopia and began to stuff it with the presents that had been delivered last night. the whole process took about thirty seconds, yet in tht time frame the two seven year old's had managedto scare Danny out of his wits.

"AAH!" he screamed an octave higher than prim thought a human could. The boy jumped back gasping for air, while the pair that had awoken him collapsed onto the ground of the raft, hysterical.

"This isn't the time to be laughing" prim said, suppressing a grin. She had to admit that was pretty funny. The moment she looked down at her feet, however, any hint of a grim disappeared. half the raft was covered in black quick sand, tar, goo. immediately prim began to panic, and in turn so did the others. what was going to happen!? what was Prim going to do!? scanning her surroundings the situation seemed hopeless. they were surrounded in this...what ever it was at least fifty yards in the air. below them a deep pool of water which had not yet been contaminated by the dark substance. They were going to have to jump. how could the game makers be so cruel! But after all this was the games.

"ok" Prim announced to Danny, Rosetta, and Arista. "on my count were going to jump!" fear filled the eyes of the three children but it was immediately replaced witha look of sheer determination. They had come to trust prim completely.

"Three" the four of them gripped hands.

"Two!" all but prim shut their eyes

"One!" all of them bent their legs and prepared to jump

"NOW!" leaping Prim dragged the three seven year olds as well as her self off the raft and into the hands of gravity and the game makers. down and down they plummeted, they were suspended in mid air for what felt like hours but honestly was only about seven seconds. then Crash! all four tributes had more or less made it safely into the safety of the water. that's when Prim remembered she couldn't swim. she battled the pull of the water but unfortunately sunk like a rock. At least until Danny Began to pull her up. wow that kid was strong. eventually the three of them broke to the surface and prim gasped for air. A few moments later, Rosetta and Arista did the same

"Paddle like this!" Danny whispered into her ear, quickly demonstrating a move he called doggy paddle. Prim followed his instructions, and soon enough the four of them were on their backs safe...well as safe as you could get in the arena.

"so what now?" gasped Arista, after a fall like that, Prim was in no way surprised that the girl was out of breath. Honestly she was surprised any of them could more or less breath. other than a few scrapes and some incredibly red, sore feet, from hitting, every ond had managed to get out of the water unscathed. Well, Rosetta was muttering something along the lines of "Height's and Water, Bad Bad Bad" but that was just shock. she would get over it...Right?

"well" replied prim "since our stuff is soaking I say we dry it out." maybe that would help Rosetta.

So the four stripped down to their under garments, emptied out the pack and laid everything out. Eventually the morning frost evaporated into mid day heat and the meager posessions of Prim and her comrads dried out. while putting everything back in, prim came across the small bag of coins she had forgotten about. what on earth could these be for? there hadn't been any sales clerks in the stores.

"Wow you have tokens?!" Exclaimed Danny, snaching the bag from prims hands

"I have what?"Prim asked

"Tokens!"

"You're not making any more sense."

"these weird people sell stuff for those tokens."

"What kind of stuff?"

"I don't know... food and shelter and stuff, I guess. the guy kicked us out, because we didn't have any tokens. so we couldn't see much" Shrugged Arista. Prim's eyes widened, never before had she heard of something like this in the hunger games.

"Can you show me where the store is?" Prim inquired. Sure, she had buckets of useful things, but split them among four people and it wasn't all that much. and their food supplies was running out an way.

"Ok" and so the four of them walked, for miles and miles, hours and hours it seemed. How an amusement park could be this large? Prim had no idea... but finally they turned a corner, and she saw him.

Rory.

**OMG cliff hanger!what's gonna happen? well... first the chicken is gonna cross the road, but then all his chicken friends are gonna be like "why the hell did you cross the road" but then the chicken is gonna be like "Well I wanted to get to the other side!"**

**Jk. that's not what's going to happen. If you want to figure out what actually happens you're going to have to Review and tune in next week!**

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**hello guys and gals peacekepper here if you have read this far then i would like to personaly thank you also if you have any problems with rorys side please let me know via pm/review**

**RORY POV**  
**DAY 3**

CRACK,sizzle sizzle sizzle. I start to think what that might be but my question is answered by a hole forming in the wall outside of the room. green liquid is spilling out of it

acid

"Get up get up know" i shout. Kastridge immediately jumps up, looking like he wasn't asleep in the first place and yanks Nate up.

"what do you want" the sleeping boy from district eight mutters, swatting at Kastridges hand

"there is acid spilling out of the wall"

Nate wakes up.

I grab as much stuff as I can and try to run out the room, but the acid has hit the floor and is coming at us fast.

"there is no way out" i tell the others.

"there's always a way out of these types of places!"Reply's kastridge as he pulls out a axe that we where lucky enough to find and starts hammering through the wall. He gets threw about a second later and begins to swing the ax around to make the hole in the wall larger. Nate being the smallest is able to get through it first. i'm the second smallest so im close to being able to squeeze through. By know the acid is beginning to seap through out the room

"Kastridge you..." i say

"shut up. Every time i swing and and hit i'm tearing into my cut from the arrow" he remarks sounding like he is in a great deal of pain. I look down and realize that there is blood coming down from his costume. After clearing a hole my size he stops and slumps agianst the wall. acid 3 inches from him.

"go on without me" he says looking at me with a pale face

"never" I respond. I am just barley able to pick him up, turn him side ways and launch him threw the hole before picking up his hidden blade and all my stuff. jumping through the hole i turn around to see the building fall apart.

"well thats two buildings we have destroyed" i say once I hit the ground. Kastridge, who looks like his about to die, chuckles, before confusion becomes evident on his face.

"dammit where is my mask"

"seriously bro?" Nate asks

"shut up" he reply's "I really liked that one". Suddenly,out of no where a package, about the size of his face, hits Kastridge's head. he looks inside and there is another mask.

"thank's beete, wiress and ellie!" he says. There is a note one side says.

"hey it is called a guy fawks mask" -B

the other side Kastridge wouldn't let me read.

**QUICK KASTRIDGE POV**

the note says

"get closer to twelve everbody really likes it. we are getting sponsors fast" -E

wow. of course they turn my love for Rory into something they can use to sway the audience...well, this is the hunger games after all.

**BACK TO RORY POV**

kastridge gives me a weird look and stuffs the note into his pocket.

"im loosing a lot of blood i need to get somewhere fast and get bandeged" kastridge says

"yeah lets go" i agree

Nate pulls out a knife, cuts the bandages that where there off and starts wrapping new ones around Kastridges arm. After that Nate wraps my hands, before fixing up his own shoulder. Eventually we are all able to walk, though Kastridge needs to be supported.

"yep if i get hurt one more time i'm going to kill both of you" Kastridge remarks with a smirk

"Shut up. It's not m fault you keep trying to look all brave and mighty for the girls back home" I say "so where are we gonna go now?"

"i have no idea" nate Replies.

**MANY HOURS LATER**

it's starting to get dark and by now yet we have no idea what the hell to do.

"i am so bored" Nate tells us

"get over it. what are we doing any way?" I ask

"looking for tributes i guess" Kastridge says

"are we like the careers" I ask

"nah we have a little bit more class than them, i guess" Nate reply's

"how is your cut doing rory" Nate asks. it still hurts alot but im not gonna tell them that

"i barley notices it" i reply

"liar" nate says

"whatever"

i look over at Kastridge who is flicking his wrist blade in and out over and over. i can no doubt tell who he is thinking about.

"hey Kastridge. it is not your fault that she died" i say

"yeah it is. maybe i should have made nine's death longer" he reply's absent minded. Immediately both Nate and I stop walking grab Kastridge and turn him around

"hey you listen to me and listen good. when you think like that, you get into the mindset of a career and as soon as you do that me and Nate are out. is that what you want" i ask

"no" kas says

"good" Nate replies punching his shoulder good naturedly. We keep walking and after a while we see a fire.

"lets go" I say right away, why I said that? I have no clue, running towards fire must be a teenage guy thing. We start to run and then we see a big building with a big light that says VENDOR in big letters.

"vendor" I question

"what the hell" Nate says. he goes up to the flaming building and knocks on its caged window

"hello" someone says

"what the hell is this" i say. The window fly's up and there is a guy with a game makers outfit standing behind a glass window.

"cant you read" he says pointing up

"yeah, it says vendor but i'm still confused" Nate explains to the man

"alright during this hunger games only there will be something called a vendor where if you have the right currency you can buy things" The Vendor informs us, pointing to a wall of weapons, armor and lots of other things.

"is this it" kastridge" questions holding out about 30 gold tokens.

"that's the one" says the balding clerk "and quiet a lot too. that will get you just about anything"

i reach in my pack and find about twenty, Nate does the same and pulls out a good 25 the guy leaves the room and comes back with a book for each of us.

"now be warned. as soon as a tribute or trap is coming i have to close down shop"

"that's fine" I reply. we start going threw the large catalog...or atleast that's what the book he hands us reads... and we all find something that we like.

"yeah i would like..." I start. but then a loud beep basically breaks my ear drums.

"oh sorry kids. tribute...actually tributes moving in. Can i have the catalogs back, please" he says

we hand the books back and run behind a building. there i see what i have been waiting to see since the bloodbath.

Prim

**and that's the end i know it sucks (this is Le Procrastinator saying...NO IT DOES NOT) but on the bright side I have already written the next chapter (again Le Procrastinator mentioning that I have not...) and you will not want to miss it! Goodbye and as always...**

**may the odds be ever in your favour**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey Guy's it's me Le Procrastinator #1! I'm back! and a day early too! woo hoo! so the Poll is officially over and here are the results! drum roll please...and it's a tie! greeeat :(! now I actually have to decide what to do by my self! awe how sad... well here were the official results!**

**44% of Pollers wanted Rory and Prim to become a couple!**

**44% did not!**

**and**

**11% didn't really give a poo**

**I also have a new pole out! same place regarding the same people! the question?**

**What sould happen to Prim and Rory?**

**the options?**

**they should both live!**

**Prim should Die!**

**Rory should Die! **

**They should both Die!**

**Lots of death I know! but good thing is it won't be happening this chapter! or will it!? Read and find out!**

Prim's cheeks flushed, her ears buzzed,and her eyes saw nothing but red. somebody was talking to her but it didn't regester. too many other thoughts were running through her brain How could that brat have simply abandon her at the cornucopia? After all they had been through? hunting in the forest, coming to the capitol, those years in school, all of it meant nothing? how dare he! every single emotion that ran through Prim's head three days ago when they had entered the arena three days ago came rushing back, all the pain,anger, betrayal.

"Prim" Rory screamed from fifty yards away,where he stood. waving like a mad man the little back stabber motioned for her to him. Prim went running. but not for the reasons most would expect, no she did not run, because she was that love struck girl the capitol wanted her to be. She did not run out of sheer joy that her district partner was alive. she ran out of pure anger and Hatred.

"Dear lord you'd better run" Nate told Rory.

"ha ha ha...why? she seems perfectly glad to see me!" Rory replied. Unfortunately for him, Prim was not at all glad to see him, as shown through the back handed slap she presented him with upon reaching the group of boys

"not so perfectly glad to see you, is she?" Retorted Nate. while Kastridge patted his now red cheeked ally sympathetically on the back.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?" Rory exclaimed clutching his stinging face. Dang that girl was strong.

"Oh! Maybe for threatening to kill me, or I don't know leaving me to die while you and your little friends went living the easy life!"

"Easy life?"

"Yah, since you kicked me out of your alliance us four have been nearly killed by careers, chased by mutant rats, and almost eaten alive by I don't even know what! the only good part was meeting some people who I actually like. But guess what!? even that's horrible because in the next two weeks, more likely than not they're all going to be dead!"

Then Prim did it. She began to cry. Big, fat, tears rolled down her cheeks, her nose went bright red and her throat swelled. Like it or not, she could not stand to watch any of the peole who stood in front of her die. Not Danny or Arista, not Rosetta, not Nate or Kastridge, and no matter how much she hated to admit it; most of all she would not ever be able to move on with out Rory.

With out thinking Prim pulled out a knife and pointed it at her childhood friend. What was she doing? Sure, she hated him but not this much...Right? No one from district twelve had ever killed their partner, then again,they never usually made it past the blood bath.

"I guess I deserve that, " said Rory, cracking up. he knew Prim really wouldn't hurt him.

"Dang right you do, pansy"

"whatever, wild child"

"shut up, fart head"

"In your dreams, small fry"

"guy's is this really the time?" Kastridge asked stepping between Prim and Rory, now that knives had been lowered.

"_oh, no continue, Really! It was too cute!" _said a voice from the shadows. Jeremy. Immediately, prim dropped her already lowered knife and whipped her head around. There standing before her were the careers.

"Awe! How adorable!" exclaimed Samantha "you reminded me of the old married couple back home...they both died two weeks ago, but guess what? it was hand in hand!"

"unfortunately, we can't say the same will happen for you." continued Quick Silver, smirking evilly.

"Because were not going to be the ones to die right?" Asked Rory, all to Innocently

"Not quite" Replied Samantha and before they knew it a fight had broken out. Spears were flying, Knives were slicing, even a few fish hooks were being embedded in the necks of some careers.

"ARRGH!" exclaimed Quick Silver as a fish hook pierced through his scalp. This gave prim just enough time to slice a gaping hole into his leg. immediately he bent over, clutching his leg and lumbered off towards the cornucopia evidently he had sustained enough damage for one day. What a wimp. The same, however could not be said for the other careers who were bleeding and bloody, but still battling. Rosetta clung to the leg of Jeremy, attempting to slow him down but she was so light that he was able to ignore her and fight off both Kastridge and Nate. Not very well though. Nate had managed to cut quite a few impressive gashes into Jeremy's arm while, thanks to Kastridge, the Boy from district one was now limping on one foot because of the spear stab that was now in his right leg.

Samantha had been pit against Rory, as well as Both Arista and Danny. But based on how the two of them were rolling around on the ground laughing at the cowardliness of quick silver, they were not going to be much help. Rory stabbed and slashed with his spear, managing to keep Samantha at bae but not getting any where himself. after about five minutes the two from four had managed to calm, down enough and shot another few fish hooks into the back of her neck. Her reaction was so over dramatized and hilarious that the two broke into hysteria. Rory however managed to stay un fased and looked to prim, who made a "LETS GET OUT OF HERE" signal

"IKSNAY ON THE GET AWAY GUYS" Rory shouted to his allies.

"You Guy's go!Nate and I'll hold them off!" Kastridge screamed in reply

" No way I'm leaving you guy's" Rory shouted back.

"Dude your face is covered in blood!" Shouts Nate "and you're covered in cuts"

"I don't care!"

"If you don't leave now you're going to pass out! so get your butt moving!"

"But!"

"NOW!" Both of them shout. As if knowing what to do Rosetta Bit into Jeremy's Leg causing him to bellow in pain before, toppling over.

"Good luck!" she screamed to Kastridge and Nate, before detaching her self from Jeremy's leg and scrambling over to Prim. Clinging to her for dear life, she pointed towards Arista and Danny. Pushing Samantha back

Or at least she thought all of them did.

Then Rosetta collapsed.

**Hey so I hope you enjoyed! Please remember to review and fill out the poll! oh and tuning in again next week would be nice too!**

**up next! Peacekepper321 and Rory's Pov! **

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**waaasssssuuuuuppp people see i told you i have a chapter for you and i know you will find problems with it! that's what i love about you people but please send them to me by pm or my hash tag (#peace) in the review!**

I look at prim and as soon as i see her i am frozen. I cant move. All I can do is stare at her. She's leading a bunch of little kids and i realize it is the girl from district five and both from four.

"what do you see" Kastridge whispers from behind me

"both from four the girl from five and prim" I reply in a shaky voice

"wait...Rosetta is there?" he questions

why would he care about Rosetta? i just said i saw Prim.

"yeah what should we do" I ask

"I say we let them pass. all of us and them? that would be seven people. we couldn't feed armor up and put weapons on that many" I hear Nate mutter

"I'm not breaking another promise" boith Kastridge and I say standing up to fast we fall over. i jump up and go towards him who I see blood coming down from where the arrow hit him yesterday

"kas if you open this cut again i will kill you myself" i tell him it takes me about 10 seconds to fix it up, but it's still annoying. i look over and i see prim with a stern look on her face, She is talking to Rosetta, well, comforting her really, who seems utterly shocked, and flustered. Rosetta nods but then she looks towards where we are and shakes her head.

decieding it is time to show ourselves, I walk out from behind the back of the building and I hear nate behind me

"Rory i swear to God if it is not them and you get caught me and kas are out" he says

"what was that" I hear in front of me i turn around to see prim looking dead, then, before I know it she is rushing towards me! wow! rushing towards me! she must be happy to see me! maybe she isn't all that mad! I mean she knows how hard the hunger games is, I bet she understands why I did what I did at the cornucopia.

"Dude, you'd better run" Nate warns me

"Why? I reply, happily "she seems perfectly glad to see me!" and she does she even has than semi smirk that's always on her face when she finds things funny! I'll bet she had a good laugh about this whole charade! In fact I'll be she's comming over here right now to give me one nice big warn teddy bear

Slap?

My cheek burns red as the back of her hand makes contact with my right cheek. oww! why is that girl so strong!? sure, I knew she was a great doctor and stuff,and had great aim, but now she's strong too? what the heck!

"not so perfectly glad to see you, is she?" Retorts Nate. while Kastridge pats me on the pack, suppressing laughter

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR!" I ask angrily, sure I would have expected a knife, but a slap? a back handed one too? now that is just an over reaction!

"Oh! Maybe for threatening to kill me, or I don't know leaving me to die while you and your little friends went living the easy life!"

"Easy life?" My life has been anything but easy! has she even noticed the scar on my head?or Nate's leg or I don't know.. Kastridges entire body!

""Yah, since you kicked me out of your alliance us four have been nearly killed by careers, chased by mutant rats, and almost eaten alive by I don't even know what! the only good part was meeting some people who I actually like. But guess what!? even that's horrible because in the next two weeks, more likely than not they're all going to be dead!"

Damn that is a lot. especially when dragging around three eight year old's. I almost feel bad for her, but then she does it! she goes and cries. I'm not entirely sure whether it's for the camera or not but it still sends my guilt sky high. Her pain is entirely my fault. Before I know it however, the tears are gone and a new, sharper form of pain is pointed directly at my neck.

"I guess I deserve that" I tell prim. But I know she won't hurt me. she's done the same thing a number of times in the forest on day's where I was especially annoying.

"Dang right you do, pansy" at this I almost let out a whoop of joy. things most definitely are back to normal!

"whatever, wild child"

"shut up, fart head"

"In your dreams, small fry"

"Um guy's is this really the time?" asks Kastridge. Of coarse it is. The capitol will be dying for a little bit of star crossed lovers by now!

"_oh, no continue, Really! It was too cute!" _says a voice from the shadows. Immediately I know It's Jeremy. Mostly based on the way Kastridge immediatly begins to swear but, that doesn't matter. I still know.

"Awe! How adorable!" Samantha sneers "you reminded me of the old married couple back home...they both died two weeks ago, but guess what? it was hand in hand!"

"unfortunately, we can't say the same will happen for you." continues Quick Silver eyeing the pack on my shoulders, as if he is ging to take it as soon as her kills me.

"Because were not going to be the ones to die right?" I ask, lifting up a spear! I am definitely ready for a fight!

"Not quite" Replied Samantha

"duck!" Prim screams I fall to the ground and roll to see behind me quicksilver, Jeremy and Samantha coming towards us. Nate pulls up Kas and they start going.

"i can run. just make sure the kids are okay" he says getting nate to help him

Kas pulls out one of his regular spears and throws it at Samantha. It puts a deep cut on her face. but she doesn't care she just pushes Kastridge over and comes straight for me.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU" she shouts with such a ferocity it chills me down to my feet. Mean while, Nate jumps on Jeremy's back and uses the butt of his short sword to make him crumble to the ground. Immediately, though the boy from one jumps back up, and though light headed manages to fight. Kastridge immediatly joins them and the three fight it out, while I battle with Samantha. the two of us are evenly matched, managing to deal quite a few blows, but nothing fatal.

Eventually, Prim gives me our universal "LETS GET OUT OF HERE" signal, and I must say I'm pretty happy she does it. not that I don't like death or any thing... I just don't like death.

"IKSNAY ON THE GET AWAY!" I call to Kastridge

"Get out of here we'll hold them off" kas says. I try to argue but I am immediately Shut down so instead I just knock over Samantha, pick up the two from four, who for some reason are laughing hysterically and dash them over to safety.

Glancing back I see Kastridge. He moves like a god of war, while he fights it is quiet magnificent. He h holds a spear in his right hand and is just flying in between his two opponents. He almost goes down until nate runs out there with a twin blade in each hand and starts fighting Samantha. they make a good team, every time one falters the other notices it and they change sides.

Finally Prim reaches us, having retrieved Rosetta. I throw her over my shoulder and start running while prim gets Arista and Danny and the three of them begin to follow.

the sound of blades are clashing in the distance

**so did you like it? you probably found problems so please PM/ review me! so me and LP#1 (Les Procrastinators #1: oh! oh! that's me! that's me!) have decided to take a break after the end of the first story and we are gonna make a SYOT... so yeah! it is gonna be called the spark that ignited the flame The character form is below and please remember to send all submissions  
TO ME NOT LP#1! ALL SENT TO HER WILL BE DENIED! (LP#1: sorry!)  
pm/review (with #peace) peacekepper321! **

* * *

name: The spark that lights the fire

summary: This is your chance will you live or die! twenty three of you will but if you are the lucky one who wins you will be showered with riches and glory!

TRIBUTE FORM  
Name:  
Age:  
Gender:  
District: (Please include 2 or more back up options in case you don't get your first choice.)  
Build (Height/Weight):  
Hair/Eyes:  
Skin/Complexion:  
Personality: (Be detailed. I don't want a list of character traits. Also, answer the questionsbelow.)  
-You must choose to save your best friend or your family, who do you choose? Why?  
-You must choose to save a stranger who is a doctor or a classmate at school you are close to in a dangerous situation. Who do you choose?Why?  
- Will you condemn a group to save one person?Or would you do the opposite?  
History:  
Family:  
Friends:  
Strengths: (For strengths/weaknesses: can be character traits as well. Such as "too arrogant"or "courageous".) Weaknesses:  
Fears:  
Reaped/Volunteered:  
Reaction:  
Token:  
Career:  
Interview Angle:  
Alliances:  
Strategy:  
Weapon of Choice:  
Thoughts on the Capitol/Rebellion:


	19. Chapter 19

**Heey everyone! I'm back! Thanks to every one who reviewed! that would be...no one :( and thanks to every one who filled out a poll too! that would be...no one as well :( I am a very talkative person so this whole reader silence thing is making me sad :( but the good news is I did get alot of views on this past chapter! thanks for Reading everyone! :) :) :) I really hope that you enjoy this new chapter, enough to review/poll but even if you don't please do the same anyway! Just think of it as your good deed for the day! **

The next morning Prim prim was awoken to the sound of beeping. A package! either he capitol really loved her or Haymitch was really good, but based on Haymitches track record she was gonna go with the capitol liked her. lower and lower the package got and louder and louder the beeping became, until the entire group, Rosetta, Rory, Arista, Danny and Prim were fully awake. The Package landed in Prim's lap and immediately she ripped a note labelled 'Prim' off the top.

"Put on the eye covers" Effie's fancy hand writing read. what? those had been an attempt to get prim away from Rosetta, hadn't they? Flipping the note over she also recognized the familiar scrawl which belonged to Haymitch.

"That's what i'm talking about" it said. Prim frowned slightly. wow. Had sleeping with her head on Rory's shoulder exited the capitol that much? Jeez these people were shallow. last night on the benches it had been cold, he had been warm, and the others had already fallen asleep with the blanket. It was a survival tactic for crying out loud!

Rolling her eyes at the antics of the capitol Prim tossed the unopened, silver delivery canister to Rory, and emptied the contents of the small bag she had retrieved at the cornucopia onto the ground. searching through the jumbled mess, she eventually found the pink eye covers effie had sent on their first night and slipped them on. Immediately her heart stopped. A digital map of the entire park appeared in front of her eyes. It labeled every single inch of their surroundings, from the cornucopia all the way over to the Barbie house in the back corner of the arena. According to the message that flashed in the bottom of her screen, green showed which rides were safe and red, which ones were not. Most of the park was red but every block or so a green hologram popped up. Also labeled were those things Arista had told her about yesterday, Vendors They would have to check those out later.

"Sweet!" Rory called out, breaking prim away from her map "Breakfast is served every one!"

The moment he said the word 'breakfast' Prim's stomach growled. She had not eaten since last night. Yesterdays drama must have prevented her from noticing the hunger but now she was famished. Pulling off her super cool map, she scrambled over to Rory, who now sat beside the three seven year old's, brandishing a loaf of bread from the large delivery canister. within minutes, itm along with the meats, fruit and water that had been sent were gone.

After breakfast the five moved on to injuries. Rosetta had collapsed yesterday form fatigue and shock. Well that's what Prim figured, and she was some what of an expert with medical problems, so everybody believed her. The whole crew was covered in scrapes and bruises, not even the younger ones had escaped without free of injury. Nothing was fatal,which was good news, though Rory did have a pretty nasty looking cut in the side of his leg. But with the help of some sterile wipes and bandaging (all of which had been delivered by that mornings package) he was good as new.

Once finished they set about doing whatever they felt needed to be done. Arista and Danny began to construct new fish hooks, while Rosetta, who had become increasingly...broken since the death of Charlie decided to help. Every once in a while she would begin to stare in horror towards the horizon but with a little bit of coaxing from her two new friends from four, she would return to normal. Prim began to wonder...had anything else caused her to pass out? Fear? Anxiety? Anger? Sighing the the thirteen year old decided to push the thought out of her mind. She must have just been over thinking this!

Happily, Prim watched the three seven year olds playing in front of her. laughing, smiling, arguing, it was almost like they were not in the hunger games at all. Prim wished she could simply freeze this moment of joyous peace, live it until a ripe old age, before peacefully dying. but of coarse that wasn't the reality of life. it wasn't. Pushing herself away from the adorable sight prim strolled over to Rory.

"beautiful, isn't it?" he whispered

"if only it could last." Replied Prim

"I suppose, but you know, we might as well enjoy it... you know, seeing as the game makers were nice enough to send it our way."

"what do you mean"

"let's go exploring!" Rory exclaimed "Check out the park, start up a few rides!"

"Are you asking me out on a date?"questioned Prim sarcastically, obviously he wasn't

"that depends on whether or not you're going to say yes"

ok so maybe it was...

"what about the others?"

"They're about as lethal as seven year olds get. I'm pretty sure they'll be fine!"

Prim considered this. He was right after all they were perfectly capable...and they were in an amusement park after all. how much harm could it do? the capitol wanted to see it anyway. Haymitch had said so.

"But what about Kastridge and Nate?" she asked. This caught Rory by surprise. he immediatly went beet red and began to shift from left foot to right nervously.

"well...I was thinking...maybe...we could keep an eye out for them along the way..."

Prim rolled her eyes. Of course this was Rory's real motive. Honestly she was pretty sure he cared about those two more than her! not that she cared or anything... it was just that she had known him since they had been in their mothers stomachs. they had gone to kinder garden together. they had best been best friends (at least until he heard about koodies). They were hunting partners!

"Not a ch-" the angry girl began. But then she remembered Haymitches words. 'that's what I'm talking about!"... the capitol really had loved her...well at least when she was beside Rory. Saying no would completely obliterate both their chances of survival.

"well...promise it'll be about us?" Of course it wouldn't be about them the kid was to busy worrying about his boy friends.

Rory lit up. "Promise" and so, telling the three seven year olds they would be back before dark, Rory and Prim set off.

The two from twelve wandered around the amusement park for the remainder of the morning, and surprisingly they actually had fun. Prim managed to find the switches on most of the safe rides, while Rory somehow hot wired this this called a cotton candy machine. They weren't sure whether they had suddenly become geniuses with amusement park technology or the capitol was just enabling it for their citizens amusement. Either way they didn't really care.

By nine o'clock (according to te sun) they had found something called a trampoline park, which according to prim's map was safe. Slowly,Rory stepped on but crumpled to the ground as soon as he tried to walk. This set prim off into hysterical laughter. The act its self hadn't been very funny but the foul language Rory decided to use was. when she stepped on, however it did end much better. the floor sank down,like quick sand, causing Prim's knees to buckle.

"AAH!" she exclaimed

"not so funny now is it?" Rory,who had just managed to stand up, retorted. Prim playfully shoved him over, atleast she thought it had been playfull, but the brute force of her strength as well as Rory's shaky stance sent him flying.

"Oww" prim thought, that was definitly going to leave a mark...or atleast she thought it would... before he bounced three feet into the air!

"Woohoo!" Rory whooped "Prim you've gotta try this!" And so she did. Nervously at first, giving a small bunny hop then a bigger one then a bigger one and before she knew it they were both leaping, practically high enough to touch the clouds! laughing and giggling they challenged each other to do different moves, making a star, spinning around, even pulling a few flips. they had a great time! It was almost as if the fight had never happened.

Before they knew it the sun was already at it's mid day heat. and both the tributes from twelve were thirsting for some water.

"what do you say we go grab a bite to eat?" asked Rory.

"sure." Prim replied "Ive been wondering what these concession things are. maybe they sell food" as usual, Prim was right, they sold food, but not just any food, all food one could think of. it was like a banquet! Large glass machines stood in a large oval, every one displaying mouth watering foods of all kinds. one food in particular caught her eye. game stew. It looked exactly like the one Katniss always brought home from the market back in district twelve.

"I want that one" Rory said pointing to the same stew Prim was practically drooling over. 'it reminded me..."

"Of home" prim finished for him "Katniss used to bring it home for dinner sometimes"

"Gale would always go out and buy me some whenever I was sick"

"Rory... I wanna go home" Prim whispered into her partners ear.

"I know prim, I know. I wanna go home too"

Though lunch was no doubt depressing, it seemed to bring the two together. They shared a bowl of stew and talked about stuff from back home.

"ok so what is your favourite drink?" Prim inquired

"Home or capitol?"

"Both"

"Ok well capital it's peppermint hot chocolate and home peppermint tea"

"No way! that's mine too!"

"Ok favourite pass time" Rory shot back

hmm that's a hard one...but I do love a good game of hacky sack"

"Really? we should play! I'm the hacky sack King!"

"Please. I've never lost a game!"

Well get ready to loose!"

"Ha! in your dreams!" the two began to chuckel and eventually their chucked turned into a down right they were laughing? they had no clue, it just seemed like a good time.

"Remind me why did we hate each other?" Rory asked, crying gleefully

"second grade spelling bee" Prim replied. she had never quite forgotten the one time Rory had beaten her at something

"Oh yeah...I remember know. we tried so hard to sabotage each other."

"You did! I remember waking up to you spraying shaving cream all over my face!"

"Yeah but wasn't it you who pants-ed me in front of the entire school?!"

"What?"

"You pulled down my pants on the final word, hoping to screw me up! that's why I hated you for so long! no one ever let me forget that. I was on the front of the school news paper!"

"Um no... that was tom."

"What?! Tom told me it was you!"

"well sorry to rain on your parade but I was the one trying to stop him!"

"So for all these years... I hated you over nothing!?"

"well it was something!"

"Yah but something about the wrong person?"

Well if it makes you feel better... ever since you glued all my school supplies to the school roof back in first, I haven't been the biggest fan of you either."

"But... I didn't do that!"

"uh huh. right I'll bet it was tom who did it right?"

"well um... no... it was Katniss..."

"WHAT"

"She really didn't like that I ...apparently... had a crush on you so..."

The two of them sat in silence for the rest of lunch but for some reason it felt as though a strange wall had broken down between them. They knew the truth now and it seemed to bring them closer...well at least gave them a shot at becoming so.

A shot which they jumped on.

Once ever single morsel in the large stew bowl had been consumed the two continued about their "day out". They checked out some crazy museums, rode a few Roller coasters, and even took a couple of moments to spy on the careers. As usual the alliance from districts one and two had set up camp around the cornucopia...or what was the cornucopia. Every single ounce of food and supplies that prim could see from her secluded hiding space had disappeared and prim recognized the familiar bite marks which dented the horn that was no longer filled with goodies.

The rats had attacked.

Prim couldn't help but smirk. Those careers had been to arrogant to hide any food or take it with them, and now it was coming back to bite them in the butt.

"What's so funny" Rory asked, curiously.

"Well you know how I told you about the mutts that attacked us before..."

"you slapped me? yeah, I remember, what about them?"

"They attacked the cornucopia"

"Ha! really"

"seems like it!"

"well that's just perfect. I was wondering why they hadn't come after us with all the racket we made. It was because they were too tired!"

For the rest of their day the two watched the careers bicker and complain about their empty stomachs. Prim and Rory watched with surprising glee, most likely because there was mountains of food meer yards away from them. When it began to grow dark a decision was made that it was time to head back to camp, and when they arrived there they discovered a most amazing surprise. Not only were Arista, Danny, and Rosetta, sleeping peacefully, but Nate and Kastridge aswell

wow this was just the perfect end to the perfect day.

If only it could last.

**Ok heres the deal! the number of reviews I get will equal the number of chapters I post within the next two weeks! so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! **

**oh oh and filling out the poll would be nice too!**

**Also, I will be posting a new story which PeaceKepper321 and I will be co-authoring so keep an eye out for that!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey Everyone! Well I've got one review so far so looks like we're at one chapter over this week and the next. Just to let you know I've got all of next week off so depending on the reviews I can post every day... but If not that's chill too. So this chapter is going to be a bit different from the past ones. I'm going to be peaking into the minds of Seneca Crane and Nate! Let me know if you like it or not and maybe I'll do another chapter or two! I've been thinking of checking up on the tributes from eleven! ****  
**

**Anyway, Enjoy! Oh and don't forget to fill out the poll!**

**PS... I've been wondering which tribute should be the next to ... um, you know ... X( ... any suggestions!?**

* * *

_**Up in the game makers room**_

machines buzzed and computers whirred. People chattered and phones rang. The game makers room was rowdier than Seneca Crane had ever seen it. But this did not bother him. Not one bit. These hunger games were the biggest hit throughout Panem since ...well ever. Of course it wasn't entirely his genius that had caused this capitol buzz... Though the unique arena, multiple traps and impeccable timing had helped.

If one thing was going to be remembered in this games it would be the love triangle. Everdeen, Hawethorne, and that Kastridge kid were going to be remembered right along side SENECA CRANE thanks to their star crossed lovers/ jealous gay friend act. Their date earlier today was driving the capitol insane! Demands were flowing in from every corner of the small city to leave them be and not spring up any traps. This was a shame really, Seneca had at least ten ploys he had to shut down, all which would have left those two brats from twelve dead. But the Populations demands always did out way the the wants of the few... and he had to admit, it did help ratings.

But what was going to skyrocket the capitols already great opinion on these games was his secret weapon, Morphine. Now, when given to adults it put them in a euphoric state, or what was referred to in the capitol, a high. But when administered to young kids, like that seven year old from district five the effects were...different. What exactly they were? Seneca was not quite sure, but what better time to test it than in the hunger games! No body really cared what happened to the tributes any way, at least not in the capitol and as long as there was one victor for the districts, they wouldn't really care either.

With the little research they had collected about the effects of morphine on children, capitol scientists discovered that it heightened their senses to an unnatural level. In some cases it was known to drive the chimps it was tested on to insanity. They're minds driven mad by the sounds, textures, and scents around them, and in most of those insanity cases it drove the apes to destroy everything around themselves, in an attempt to calm their nerves.

That Rosetta girl seemed the perfect target for this little experiment. With what she had seen and been through, her mind was already cracking. It would only take the slightest of dose of the drug to drive her over the edge. She would go berserk! Smashing the park, killing her own allies and eventually, seeing what she had done, taking her own life! If Seneca's plan went the way he wanted it to Everdeen, Hawthorne, would die hand in hand, taking their little daycare with them, making him the biggest capitol hit for all of Panams past, present, and future!

"SENECA CRANE" the history books would say "and his games of love, passion and loyalty!"

After serenading on this thought momentarily he glanced over tto find a lesser game maker pulling out the red button which would shoot the Morphine out of fives tracking device. Yes, The capitol could do that, why else would the trackers be so big? Thanks to the size, game makers could inject helpful, or harmful substances into the tributes bodies. How else could those boy's from three and eight have survived the attack of the careers? The two of them were good and all, but those three from one and two had been wielding weapons since they could walk. That extra energy boost their tracking devices had provided were probably the reason they were still alive.

"Sir? would you like me to administer the Morphling now?" She asked, obviously, she was exited about this history making event to which she would get to press the button.

"Oh no, no." Seneca replied, his face peeling into a smile,

"We'll get there soon enough."

* * *

_**Nate POV**_

Nate awoke with a pounding ache in his head. The sun was bright, and the sky was blue, If they hadn't been in the arena the boy from eight would have considered it a beautiful bay. But as it turned out it he was, and there were still at least three people out there who were thirsty for his blood, so it wasn't all that beautiful at all. But, he was still alive and that's more than what he had hoped for when he had told Prim and Rory to run the other day. infact the fact that both he and Kastridge had survived was pretty much a miracle. But unfortunately for them "survived" was all that they could manage in yesterdays confrontation. They hadn't killed any of the careers, though they had dealt quite a few serious blows.

Unfortunately, so had Samantha and Jeremy.

Yesterday he had been on such an adrenalin that he hadn't noticed any pain. Now on the other hand, was a different story. His entire torso was drenched in blood thanks to the nice slash Jeremy had lent him (he'd be sure to return it) and His Head felt as if it were about to break open because of samantha who had decided it was a good idea for the butt of her and Nate's temple to get into as fist fight. A fist fight which he had unfortunately lost.

"You feeling the pain now too?" Kastridge Asked limping over to his friend. Looking over at his accomplice Nate saw that Kastridge was just about as banged up as he was. His pant leg was gone and his actual leg was purple and swollen, his nose was bent in a funny direction and both eyes were purple. He looked like a skinny, purple and white panda bear.

"Definitely" Nate replied, motioning to his own battle wounds. "What happened to your leg?"

"I think Samantha was trying to break it or something" Kastridge said, poking and prodding his leg "I think she may have succeded"

"Nah. By the looks of it I'd say that it's just heavily bruised...Very heavily bruised. you're nose on the other hand is broken my friend."

"Since when have you been a medical expert.?" Inquired Kastridge

"I have a big family and after seeing so many broken bones, The look of one kind of sticks."

"Gotcha.

Nate's stomach groweled, loud and long, as if demonstrating the mating calls of a whale. The whole not eating for two days thing was definitely starting to catch up with him.

"Yo, I'm starved. is there any grub in those packs of ours?" Demanded Nate, it may have sounded a bit rude but hey, who was ever polite on an empty stomach?

"I'm pretty sure there's a bit of Jerkey and a couple of crackers in that one" Replied Kastridge, He pointed to the one on the left and Nate immediately dove for it. Picking up the pack he ripped it open and discovered that Kastridge had not been exaggerating when he said "A bit of jerky and a couple of crackers" There was exactly two crackers and one measly slice of beef jerky.

"You know considering how hard we worked for these packs I thought there would be a luxury paradise waiting inside" Nate commented grumpily as he ripped the slice of meet in half and tossed one of the chunks to his friend.

"Well, I've been thinking about this for a while... but maybe... nah..."

"Maybe what? will it get us more food?"

"Well it would but..."

"Dude I'm starved! I'd literally die for some food right now! and we're in the freaking hunger games so that's saying something!"

"well I was thinking..."

"Just spit it out!"

"maybe we could raid the cornucopia..."

Nat gave an approving Nod. That was actually a great idea! no doubt the careers would still be lounging around their camp, recovering from the many injury's Kastridge and Nate had inflicted upon them, they wouldn't be expecting this sort of thing in a million years!

"question is... how could we do it?"

Oh- yah. that would be a problem. (A) the two of them had the mobility of sloths right now and (B) if they even managed to get to the Cornocopia, how would they destroy it? maybe this whole plan wasn't the greatest idea after all...Then it hit him.

"The Rats!" Nate exclaimed

"What?"

"Prim said something about mutant Rats yesterday! you know while she was freaking out at Rory!"

"Uh-hu... and how would they help us exactly?"

"I think I saw them in a replay of the hunger games once! they eat everything! legit EVERYTHING!" And they did. Nate had watched the hunger games his uncle had died in. He had cried for five days straight. not from sadness, he hadn't really known his uncle but for the sheer horror in which he was killed! The rat's had eaten him alive! Ripped every morsel of skin from his bones until he was nothing but a skeleton. Nate had never forgotten them, nor any mutant since, how could he? the scene had been permanently burned into his mind. He still had night mares about the stuff.

"Ok so your saying they would eat all the food?" Kastridge asked

"Yup" Nate replied

"And maybe even the careers too?"

Nate cringed, no matter how much he hated the careers, he wouldn't wish a death like that on anyone.

"Let's hope not"

"Sweet!" Kastridge exclaimed "so where do we find them?"

"No clue"

"No clue! this park is huge! your saying we have to search the entire place!"

"Yup"

And so they did. For the entire day they limped around the park like injured solders with no clue of where they were going. They searched high, they searched low. Emptying garbage cans, flipping over food stands, but not even a glimpse of a rat could be found! They had no food, no water in their heavy packs, but even so they pushed on with aching muscles and pounding heads. a couple of times they could have sworn they heard the distinct laughter of prim and Rory, but when ever they excitedly whipped their heads around, hoping to find a glimpse of their allies, they were sorely disappointing and went back to their lonely search.

Only when the sky had gone a deep crimson color did they find the path of the rats. It was quite easily recognizable. Holes had been chomped through rides and the occasional Rat carcase could be found strewn across the road.

"Hey Dude! Over here!" Nate Called to Kastridge "I found something!"

Indeed he had. A mere five minutes from the spot they had discovered the trail they found a large pack of rats (at least five hundred of them) choring down on frozen chicken wings and moldy corn dogs.

"Gross" muttered Kastridge

"That would be a rather accurate definition of them" Replied Nate, picking up a stone. he tossed it "HEY MUTTS! OVER HERE! LOOK NICE TASTY TRIBUTES!"

At the word tributes the rats turned, and for a second they stared, their re beedy eyes on Nate and Kastridge

"So what do we do now." Kastridg whispered to his ally

"I'm not sure...I didn't really think we'de get this far..."

The Rats charged

"RUN!" Kastridge screeched at the top of his lungs. Dragging Nate away He ran in no particular direction, leaping over fallen garbage cans and sprinting past vendors, the Mutts hot on his heels. How the two were running at this fast of a pace? Nate had no clue, two seconds ago they had been barley able to crawl.

Farther and Farther they ran, not daring to slow down their pace, until finally the cornucopia was in sight.

"CORNOCOPIA AT TWO O'CLOCK!" Kastridge screamed, ducking behind a garbage can

"UM DUDE I DON"T THINK TATS GOING TO WORK!" began Nate, then the rats dashed passed him and headed straight towards the cornocopia,

"Ok so maybe it is"

In the distance the shouts of the careers could be heard as their camp was destroyed, while Kastridge and Nate chuckled at their ingenious plan. Finally, once all the commotion had dissapeared and the Rat's seemed to have moved on, Nate yawned

"Dude I'm starved, lets go find the others."

**Hey everybody! so what did you think! should I do more chapters like this!? let me know in the reviews!**


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